New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Indian triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker has set a clear benchmark for a podium finish at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan; the 17-metre mark. After narrowly missing the podium in the last edition, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist believes that breaching the 17m mark will guarantee a gold or a silver medal in Japan.
At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Chinese jumpers Zhu Yaming (17.13m) and Fang Yaoqing (16.93m) bagged the top two spots on the podium, with India's Praveen Chithravel securing a bronze with a best effort of 16.68m and Aboobacker was placed fourth with 16.62m.
However, last month Aboobacker produced his best jump of 16.83m, defeating national record holder Chithravel to win the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bengaluru. It was the eighth instance of a one-two finish between Aboobacker and Chithravel.
"If I cross the 17m mark in the Asian Games 2026, I’ll likely secure the gold or silver. Last time, I finished in fourth place (16.63m), but this time in Japan, I have to perform well no matter what. Last year, gold and silver went to the Chinese athletes," Aboobacker, who has a personal best of 17.19m, told IANS.
The former Asian champion stressed that intense competition within the Indian camp has fuelled India's chances to challenge China’s dominance and secure a top-two finish on the podium in Achi-Nagoya.
"This year, our Indian triple jump team is very strong. Since Indian jumpers are giving such tough competition to each other back home right now, we can definitely perform well and finish top two on the podium at the Asian Games," he said.
"Competing against Praveen (Chithravel) has significantly improved my performance. Beating him has given me a lot of motivation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games (CWG) and Asian Games. Since I am getting such strong competition even before heading into major events, it will definitely help me perform better there," the 30-year-old jumper added.
At the India Open, Aboobacker winning jump came in his third attempt, and he opted out of his final three jumps, which he called a strategic move to maintain his consistency for the major tournament coming ahead.
"At the India Open, my three jumps were 16.07m, 16.57m, and 16.83m. Since 16.83m is a decent performance, I felt it was better to stop after just three jumps and target my goals in the next competition instead. There was also a headwind at the India Open; if I had pushed harder, I could have touched the 17m mark, but it wasn't worth the risk there.
"Even if I had hit 17.20m or 17.30m, it wouldn't have held much value in that specific setting. What I really wanted was consistency. Having put in so many jumps during the off-season, I need to maintain that form throughout the main season, which is why I decided to call it a day after three jumps," he said.
Aboobacker, who is currently training at Inspire Institute of Sport in Bengaluru, said the facility at IIS has helped him in managing logistics and streamlined his preparation.
"I have learned a lot since coming to IIS (Inspire Institute of Sport). It is only after arriving here that I understood things like nutrition, recovery, etc. My speed, strength, and conditioning—I was able to sort all of that out quickly at IIS. Previously, I would have had to search for a physio or a recovery centre, but at IIS, everything is available in one place," he concluded.
--IANS
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