Walkers step it up

Khushbir’s trip to Moscow gains significance because she is the first ever woman walker from India to participate in athletics’ marquee event. Khushbir finished fourth in the Asian Walking Championships in Nomi City,Japan,to qualify for Moscow 2013.

India’s half-a-dozen mark at Moscow is a reflection of the improvement made by Indian walkers even as the overall timings across the world have risen post the London Games,which in turn has resulted in qualifying standards being fractionally eased.

“The slight increase in timings among walkers across the world can be attributed to this being a post-Olympics year when athletes who peaked for the Games are only slowly getting back on track. But according to me the stringent dope testing that also resulted in an Olympic champion being banned has made the sport much cleaner and we are seeing true timings,” India’s Russian coach Alexander Artsybashev said on the sidelines of a training session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

Artsybashev was referring to Spain’s Alex Schwazer,the Beijing Olympics gold medallist in the 50km walk,who was banned ahead of the London Olympics,in which India’s Irfan finished tenth and set the national record of 1:20:21s in the 20K.

Artsybashev used numbers to demonstrate why he thinks Indian walkers are improving by leaps and bounds. “In all 12 walkers qualified for the Moscow World Championships but not all can go because some of them have qualified with the ‘B’ standard and we already have three walkers who have made the ‘A’ grade in the 20k,” Artsybashev said.

India coach Gurdev Singh said the success of Indian walkers can be gauged from the fact that,till a couple of seasons ago,a timing of 1:28:00s would have been good enough for the podium in a domestic competition. But the bar has been raised. “At the Federation Cup in Patiala in April a dozen walkers registered timings of sub-1:28:00s. The competition is intense now because more and more athletes are attracted to walking because they know that it is a sport where India has potential to win international medals. During our days we would have two or three walkers in a national camp. Now,I can count up to 50,” Gurdev said.

Large talent pool

Having a talent pool as large as this is helping,said Irfan. “Looking at the talent we have I can guarantee that India will win a medal at the 2016 Rio Games. It need not necessarily come from me but from any one in the group,” said Irfan,who hopes to clock 1:19:50s at Moscow.

Khushbir was inspired by the increase in the number of athletes taking to the sport. “I used to play football but was advised to shift to walking. I have fallen in love with it and though it is not as glamorous as sprint events it remains an Olympic sport and my dream remains to win a medal” Khushbir said.

Hers is not a pipe dream,according to Artsybashev. “Look at the progress the Chinese have made since the mid-1980s. They were inspired by the success of the Russians and have successfully replicated it. India must adopt the best practices from around the world if we want to win Olympic and World Championship medals. Since the London Games,Irfan has participated in only one international event. Indians have the talent,physique and desire to dominate walking. Now they need more support.”