Kerala School Games stars have 'quarter-miles' to go before they emerge national heroes

Alkka Shinoj, 13, knows no international stars competing in the 400 metres. But the Kozhikode girl, who emerged the sub-junior champion in the Kerala School Games, ran a comfortable quarter-mile race, clocking 1:00.64, to take gold.

Four of the other seven individual athletic champions also showed promise in the 400-metre race. Unlike young Alkka, senior 400 m champions Mohammed Ashfaq and Jyothika M look up to Norwegian sensation Karsten Warholm and American superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, respectively, for inspiration. Just like their heroes, Ashfaq and Jyothika compete in the 400 m hurdles as well. But even they were not entirely sure of the true potential of the quarter-mile race.

"The 400m is India's best event; everything else comes after that," said seasoned athletics coach KM Peter. The veteran has been training Alkka since she was 12 at Kulathuvayal in Kozhikode. Jyothika's trainer, Manoj PG, has a similar view. "Jyothika will do well in 400 metres. If she stays focused and works hard, the event will fetch her success," Manoj said.

Captain Ajimon, who coaches Ashfaq at the GV Raja Sports School, also sees great potential for his trainee in the 400 metres. Ashfaq set a meet record in 400 metres, clocking 47.65 seconds, the first to run under 48 runs in the school meet. He clocked 52.82 for gold in the 400 m hurdles.

Quartermilers have been India's most consistent lot when it comes to success at the international level, especially at the Asian Games. India's 4X400m relay runners have consistently secured Asian gold medals for two decades. At least one Malayali has been in every victorious relay team since 2002; there were three in the 2022 edition, namely Muhammed Ajmal, Muhammed Anas Yahiya, and Amoj Jacob.

Ajmal, one of the stars at Kerala's famous schools meet, was impressed by Ashfaq's timing. Ajmal said: "I heard he ran under 48 seconds. It is a very good timing at his age. I wish him well. We need good runners for the future."

Ajmal had not realised his potential in 400 metres at the school level. Only after he joined the Indian Navy did the 26-year-old shift focus to the quarter-mile race. Now, Ajmal is one of India's finest 400m runners. His personal best is 45.36 seconds, while the other Keralites in the relay quartet have equally good timings (Amoj Jacob, 45.68 secs and Muhammed Anas Yahiya, 45.21 (NR)). The Malayali trio, along with Tamil Nadu's Rajesh Ramesh, set an Asian record of 2:59.05 at the World Championships in Budapest last year.

But to achieve the level of Ajmal, the school-level stars must do plenty of work, and there is greater responsibility on the shoulders of the trainers.

Former national champion K M Binu knows it all too well. "Many school-level stars simply vanish after a point because they were overworked at a young age. The key is to train them systematically. If they reach the national camps with a firm base, then their careers will take off. It is important to protect them at this crucial phase," said the Olympian, whose best of 45.48 seconds was a national record for long.

Alkka's coach, Peter, concurs with Binu's views. "As a coach, I must push them, but not so hard that they may break. One shouldn't kill an athlete with excessive load."