Mayookha gets a new coach

The bulging calf muscles that the middle aged mans three-quarter training pants expose prove that he hasnt exactly spent his life doing a 9 to 5 desk job

Before starting her approach run,the national triple-jump record holder Mayookha Johny glances at a well-built man,who while sitting on his haunches is keeping a close eye on her. The bulging calf muscles that the middle aged mans three-quarter training pants expose prove that he hasnt exactly spent his life doing a 9 to 5 desk job. Though,the former national long jump champion,and Mayookhas new coach,Shyam Kumar does say that it has been a while since he spent long hours next to sand pit.

To be exact,it has been nearly six years since Kumar coached anybody. Since 2006 he has been largely focused on his job with the Food Corporation of India. That was till the opportunity to train Indias most promising jumper came along.

With 14 months to go for the London Olympics and three months to the World Championships in Daegu,Korea,Kumar has been handed the charge of not only ensuring that Mayookha qualifies for both but also wins a medal.

Following Mayookhas failure at the Commonwealth and the Asian Games,her long-time coach at the Sports Authority of India,Thalassery,Jose Mathew made away for Kumar. It is learnt that the request that Mayookha should train under Kumar came from the athlete and her parents. Kumar had been training triple jumper Renjith Maheswari on and off.

But in mid-February things changed and the Athletics Federation of India asked Kumar to be with Maheswari and Mayookha till the London Games. The first leg of the Indian Grand Prix,held at the National Institute of Sport here,on Tuesday was the first time Mayookha entered a competition with Kumar as her coach.

On Tuesday,when Mayookha came within three centimeters of breaking her national triple jump record by leaping to 13.65 during the Indian Grand Prix,Kumar saw that his ward,someone he had first marked out as a special talent during the Junior Nationals in 2006,had made a small but significant stride.

Mayookha is competing here after doing only light off-season training. We are only building rhythm and slowly increasing the training load. Keeping that in mind her performance on Tuesday, Kumar said.

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The womens triple jump is not part of the competition in the second leg of the Indian Grand Prix to be held here on Saturday. Mayookhas immediate objective is to qualify for the World Championships at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Meet in Bangalore next month. Before that national meet she will head to China to participate in three-leg Asian Grand Prix to be held between May 22-29.

It will take a while for her to get used to my coaching style as she has been training for a long time with Jose Mathew. At the moment,I am trying to make minor changes in her technique which I believe will help her gain distance. Mayookha has the potential to win a medal at the World Championships or the Olympics but first she needs to build confidence, Kumar added.

Incidentally Kumar isnt a qualified coach but was part of the national camp in 2006. I draw on my experience of being a national champion and someone who has crossed 7.80 metres close to 50 times in my career. I may not have a certificate or a qualification but I can guarantee results though it is early days yet.