Quietly, Jashbir Nayak has made fast progress within the decathlon in a couple of yr’s time. The Odisha athlete, who secured a silver medal with 6443 factors within the Indian Open under-23 championships in Chandigarh final yr, improved his efficiency considerably to win the gold this yr in Patna with a brand new meet file — boasting an accumulation of 7065 factors.
His noteworthy efficiency has not solely underlined Nayak’s potential in athletics’ hardest occasion, however has additionally propelled his ambition to do properly within the 2026 Asian Video games in Japan.
Breaking a barrier
Having damaged a psychological barrier of 7000 factors, 22-year-old Nayak is stuffed with confidence.
“The scheduling was a difficulty in Patna. On day one, the second half of the competitors started early so the time to relaxation was much less. On day two, there was no relaxation. In any other case, I feel I might have gathered extra factors,” mentioned Nayak.
“My intention was to rewrite the meet file (6975) of my senior Yaman Deep Sharma. Since I’ve crossed 7000 factors, now my subsequent goal is enhancing it to 7500 in order that I make it to the 2026 Asian Video games. That’s my major aim. If I proceed to enhance, then I could find yourself profitable a medal there.”
Nayak’s progress has occurred in fast-forward mode. A late newbie, Nayak was not a critical athlete till he accomplished his twelfth commonplace. The son of a former military man who was a swimming coach, the teenager was inspired by his father (Thayadhar Nayak) to take up a person sport. He fondly remembers his quick journey as an athlete.
“After the twelfth commonplace, I used to be taking part in workforce sports activities — soccer and volleyball. I didn’t select any explicit occasion. My father mentioned, ‘In a workforce sport, in the event you performed properly and others didn’t, then the workforce could lose. That’s not the case in a person sport.’
“In class, I used to do lengthy leap and triple leap. Within the 2020 district meet, I received gold medals and obtained chosen for the State meet. Within the 2021 State meet, I bagged a silver in lengthy leap and a gold in triple leap. The Kalahandi district sports activities officer, Subhashis Nayak, really useful my title to Siba Prasad Mishra sir, who was working with Reliance Basis Youth Sports activities (RFYS). I educated with him for six months.
“Siba sir, on the verge of his retirement, requested me to hitch RFYS. After the trials, I used to be chosen for lengthy leap and triple leap in June that yr. Then Martin Owens was the top coach. At the moment, Indian jumpers akin to Jeswin Aldrin and Murali Sreeshankar had set very excessive requirements. One wanted to do round 7.30m to compete within the Nationwide meet. I used to be doing round 6.80m-6.90m. It will have taken a whole lot of time to catch up.
Headroom: Nayak, in keeping with multi-event coach Sanjay Garnaik, has the potential to enhance by about 150 factors within the pole vault. | Photograph credit score: Reliance Basis Youth Sports activities
“So I modified to the multi-event competitors. My senior decathlete Yaman Deep Sharma had joined RFYS and was on the prime. I obtained an opportunity to coach with him. Martin sir specialised in dash and hurdles and RFYS didn’t have any multi-event coach. After a yr, multi-event coach Sanjay Garnaik joined the Authorities of Odisha. I educated with him and did properly in competitions — silver medals within the Indian Open under-23 meet in Chandigarh in October 2023 and the Nationwide inter-State meet in Panchkula in June and now the gold in Patna.”
The turnaround
From a twelfth place end with an combination of 5821 within the Federation Cup meet in Ranchi in Might 2023, Nayak, after being educated by Garnaik, registered an enchancment of 622 factors in 5 months to land a silver within the under-23 meet in Chandigarh.
“Due to his physique construction, skill, expertise and self-discipline, Jashbir has improved loads. We began slowly. Out of 10 occasions, he improved slowly in two, then within the subsequent two months in another occasions. That’s how he consolidated his factors and improved his rankings. He has turn out to be higher in each occasion,” mentioned Garnaik.
With an general improve of 1244 factors so removed from the time Nayak began coaching with Garnaik, there’s scope to lift the bar additional.
“He can enhance about 150 factors in pole vault and 150 in excessive leap. In different occasions, I’m planning to see him enhance 30 factors apiece. He has obtained the expertise to achieve 7700 to 7800 factors, which ought to get him a medal within the 2026 Asian Video games,” mentioned Garnaik.
“I consider, if every little thing goes properly, then he shall be round 8000 factors by the subsequent Olympics [in Los Angeles].”
For his major goal of medalling within the Asian Video games, Nayak has ample time to fine-tune his expertise. After all, it is going to be fascinating to see how he prepares for the 2025 calendar, which includes the Asian championships.
“His throwing occasions nonetheless want some work. I’ve obtained two years to show him round in these. He shall be good in discus and shot put. In mixed occasions, now we have to strike a stability. If we focus an excessive amount of on one occasion, then different occasions could go down.”
Nayak, too, is evident about his strategy, which incorporates participation in college meets. For that, he has resisted the temptation of a job with the Indian Military and has determined to proceed his research by enrolling in a post-graduate course.
“Had I accepted the job supply, then I couldn’t have studied in a college and competed in university-level occasions. Competing there’ll give me extra probabilities and enhance my rating previous to the Asian Video games.”
Metal sharpens metal
The Bhubaneswar-based Nayak — who advantages from the coaching services arrange by the Odisha authorities and the RFYS — is eager to compete alongside elite decathletes who’ve crossed the 7000 mark, together with Asian Video games silver medallist Tejaswin Shankar (7666), Yaman Deep (7165) and N. Thowfeeq (7042), to extract the very best from himself. “At current there are 4 decathletes who’ve registered 7000-plus factors. If we compete extra, then it can increase the usual of the competitors and raise everybody’s efficiency.”
Improve essential: It’s within the throwing occasions that Nayak wants ‘some work’, says coach Garnaik. | Photograph credit score: Reliance Basis Youth Sports activities
Nayak acknowledges the teamwork, together with the contribution of event-specific coaches aiding Garnaik and different help employees at RFYS, and loves the camaraderie (as all of the individuals have fun collectively after the competitors) in decathlon. “Not like different occasions, each competes until the tip and also you get pleasure from that second. If you’re getting a medal, it’s icing on the cake.”
Because the Nayak-Garnaik duo works with a plan in thoughts and a goal in sight, one wants to attend and see how the mix clicks within the run-up to the continental mega occasion in two years’ time.
Printed – October 26, 2024 12:16 am IST
