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 document — 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 nicely 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 problem 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 believe I may have gathered extra factors,” stated Nayak.
“My goal was to rewrite the meet document (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 main purpose. 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 severe athlete till he accomplished his twelfth commonplace. The son of a former military man who was once a swimming coach, the teen was inspired by his father (Thayadhar Nayak) to take up a person sport. He fondly remembers his brief journey as an athlete.
“After the twelfth commonplace, I used to be taking part in crew sports activities — soccer and volleyball. I didn’t select any specific occasion. My father stated, ‘In a crew sport, in the event you performed nicely and others didn’t, then the crew could lose. That isn’t the case in a person sport.’
“At school, I used to do lengthy soar and triple soar. Within the 2020 district meet, I received gold medals and bought chosen for the State meet. Within the 2021 State meet, I bagged a silver in lengthy soar and a gold in triple soar. The Kalahandi district sports activities officer, Subhashis Nayak, really helpful my identify 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 affix RFYS. After the trials, I used to be chosen for lengthy soar and triple soar in June that yr. Then Martin Owens was the top coach. At the moment, Indian jumpers resembling 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 lots 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. | Picture 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 high. I bought 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 nicely 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 Could 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, potential, expertise and self-discipline, Jashbir has improved so much. 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 into higher in each occasion,” stated Garnaik.
With an general enhance 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 soar. In different occasions, I’m planning to see him enhance 30 factors apiece. He has bought the expertise to achieve 7700 to 7800 factors, which ought to get him a medal within the 2026 Asian Video games,” stated Garnaik.
“I imagine, if the whole lot goes nicely, then he might be round 8000 factors by the subsequent Olympics [in Los Angeles].”
For his main goal of medalling within the Asian Video games, Nayak has ample time to fine-tune his abilities. After all, will probably be fascinating to see how he prepares for the 2025 calendar, which contains the Asian championships.
“His throwing occasions nonetheless want some work. I’ve bought two years to show him round in these. He might be good in discus and shot put. In mixed occasions, we have now to strike a stability. If we focus an excessive amount of on one occasion, then different occasions could go down.”
Nayak, too, is obvious 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 possibilities 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’ll elevate the usual of the competitors and raise everybody’s efficiency.”
Improve mandatory: It’s within the throwing occasions that Nayak wants ‘some work’, says coach Garnaik. | Picture credit score: Reliance Basis Youth Sports activities
Nayak acknowledges the teamwork, together with the contribution of event-specific coaches helping Garnaik and different assist workers at RFYS, and loves the camaraderie (as all of the members have a good time collectively after the competitors) in decathlon. “In contrast to different occasions, every one competes until the tip and also you take pleasure in that second. In case you are 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