How to make a winner

THE signs of a long and hectic season are plainly evident as KM Binu lies exhausted at the Nehru Stadium track on the second day of post-Ath...

THE signs of a long and hectic season are plainly evident as KM Binu lies exhausted at the Nehru Stadium track on the second day of post-Athens training. Coach Yuri Ogorognik sees his pet pupil8217;s pain but conveys in broken English: 8216;8216;Tomorrow morning same same schedule.8217;8217;

For Binu, who reached the semi-finals of the Olympic 400m, an event he took up only in January, the hard part has just begun. So long he was the underdog; now he is Potential Star. It8217;s a tough role to play: the Indian public will place no demands on him so the motivation will have to come from within.

His coach believes he can do it; all that8217;s needed is a planned effort. So here8217;s what Binu needs to do for the next four years

A LONG-TERM PLAN
Ogorognik, the Soviet Union8217;s chief sprinting coach from 1983-92, says the main difference between India and other sporting powerhouses is planning. India usually leaves it till the Olympic year. With Binu, the planning has to start now and look ahead

TOP-CLASS DIET
Ask Binu what he lacks to be a world champion runner and he says, without blinking, 8216;8216;Diet8217;8217;. What exactly does he need to eat? The answer is simple, 8216;8216;The only thing I know is that the present diet isn8217;t upto the mark and since I don8217;t know what is an ideal diet I don8217;t know exactly what to eat.8217;8217; The case rests

TRAINING ABROAD
It8217;s not just the diet and other facilities that make training in India a futile exercise; climatic conditions also take their toll. While Patiala and New Delhi are conducive for just the 4-5 winter months, Bangalore8217;s altitude poses injury problems for middle-distance runners. Everybody agrees but no one can decide where exactly should an athlete go. Olympian GS Randhawa rules out Ukraine and Belrus. 8216;8216;We haven8217;t achieved anything by going there, our athletes should go to Europe,8217;8217; he says. Anju Bobby George just proves that point

UNINTERRUPTED STINTS
Long duration camps and a constant review of the athletes is a must. After a long absence from camp an athlete8217;s level of fitness dips to below zero according to Yuri. While a short stint at home is beneficial, long lay-offs could prove to be disastrous

SCIENTIFIC COACHING
Till last year, Binu believed that to be a top runner all one needed to do was just keep running. Effectively, he ended up running in circles. Yuri says Binu was lifting weights lighter than what some of the women runners were lifting. Only now has he started serious weight training 8212; and the difference shows already. Now there are days Binu doesn8217;t venture on the track and just sticks to muscle building exercise.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More