Bangkok [Thailand ], July 11(ANI): India will likely be sending a contingent of 40 athletes to the Asian Championships which will likely be held in Bangkok, Thailand from July 12-16.
In that contingent, Baranica Elangovan is the one Pole Vaulter. She will likely be bidding to turn out to be the first Indian in historical past to medal within the girls’s pole vault occasion on the Asian Athletics Championships, an occasion that has been historically dominated by Chinese and Japanese athletes.
Baranica was the first Indian girl to clear a peak of 4m in 2023 in April. However, having completed third within the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships and having did not medal on the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, she had her share of anxious moments earlier than the squad for the Asian Championships was introduced.
“I was extremely happy but at the same moment, I was feeling very nervous if I would make the Indian squad. I had not performed up to my expectations in the Federation Cup and National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships. So, I was very worried if I would make the cut as I did not know which performances will be taken into consideration. I knew about my potential but ultimately it is your performance that does the talking and I had done well at the Indian Grand Prix 4 earlier this year,” Baranica stated. Martin Owens, Head Coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre, is enthused about her prospects.
“Baranica is in with a shout in the women’s pole vault if she performs up to standard. She has jumped 4.10m twice already this year and looks good for pushing up into the 4.20m range and attacking the Indian national record,” Owens stated.
“She has worked really hard after coming back from injury. The strength and conditioning team have worked really hard to get her in peak physical shape. Technically, she will be using a stiffer and longer pole,” Owens added.
Baranica, although, has taken the learnings from the final two competitions. She has now began coaching with the precise competitors cross bar to get a really feel of it and to beat her concern of getting damage by it.
“After the Inter-State tournament, I started practicing with the real bar. Earlier, I used to practice with the elastic bar. The reason for practising with the real bar is to get the mind adapted to it and in competition mode. With the real bar, there is always a chance of it hitting you after youhave landed, which is why a lot of athletes don’t use that in practise. But I felt that it was important for me to overcome that fear of getting hit. I think it will help me hit the ground running from the first jump itself.”Baranica’s private better of 4.10m got here on the Indian Grand Prix 4 in April this 12 months in Bengaluru. The Indian nationwide document stands within the identify of one other Odisha Reliance Foundation HPC athlete, Rosy Meena Paulraj, who cleared a peak of 4.21m in 2022. Baranica has her sights set on that document now, clearing which on the Asian Athletics Championships ought to undoubtedly put her in medal rivalry.
“I will look to clear 4.30m at the Asian Athletics Championships. I had set myself that target for the Federation Cup and the National Inter-State Athletics Championships too and I have done it in practise sessions. The challenge now is to replicate it in an actual competition.” (ANI)