World University Games silver part of my prep for Worlds, says TN triple jumper Praveen Chithravel
is in the middle of a wonderful season. The Tamil Nadu athlete equalled his own national record at the Federation Cup and then went on to bag silver at the Asian Athletics Championships.
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He did not stop there as he clinched silver in the recently-concluded World University Games.
While the 24-year-old Praveen played with caution at the University Worlds in Germany, it was enough to take him to the second spot. 'I wanted to compete in tournaments consistently in the build-up to the World Championships. I did not prepare separately for the University Games and did not strain myself. I knew that I would win a medal,' Praveen told TOI.
What made the moment even more special for Praveen was that he secured the medal on his sister's birthday, a detail he mentioned on his bib. He dedicated the second-placed finish to his new-born nephew and said that he could not have given him a better gift.
Prior to the University Worlds, Praveen had a brief training stint in Spain with Olympic medallists like Yulimar Rojas and Juan Miguel Echevarria. The spell in Spain helped him understand certain aspects which he could apply to his game.
'I could not stay relaxed when I was training with them as I always wanted to stay competitive. One important thing is that they come to train with a peaceful mind and do not take pressure while we are not like that. We sometimes put more pressure on ourselves and that goes against us. This is something I learnt personally,' Praveen added.
In Spain, Praveen tried his hand at long jump and succeeded, recording his personal-best mark of 7.86m, one of the best jumps by an Indian this season. 'Many asked why I am competing in long jump when I am doing very well in triple jump. I do long jump as it helps me progress in triple jump. Personally, I love long jump, and I have the capacity to cross 8m and achieve a good jump. When I do triple jump, I am very cautious but when it comes to long jump, I do it without much stress.
'Unfortunately, I am not able to compete in three to four competitions in a year in long jump due to the hectic schedule. I am confident that I will spring a surprise in long jump in the future,' Praveen said.
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