The Indian record holder in sprints, Amiya Mallick, is busy keeping up with the current lockdown period.
Recently, a number of athletes
have been injured,
but this policy has given him some time to let his body heal and spend time with his loved ones.
The race to the land of pearly whites is on and while many are chasing the dream, there’s a man called
Mohammed Anas who was termed the ‘fastest man in India’ by making it to the finals of the
100m event at the Rio Olympics.
He beat his own record with a time of 10.81 seconds and made his country proud.
The man from Rewari, Haryana is breathing the rarefied air of success.
He has been described by everyone as the fastest man in India,
who holds records at every distance—200m indoor and outdoor, 400m outdoor, and 4×400m relay- all set within three years.
“I was fascinated when I came across a general knowledge book at school, with this question: When I was a fast runner in my class; and ever since then, I have desired to acquire more skills.
Now, I am blessed because it has happened. But my goals have changed over time,” Amiya Mallick said.
Starting in 5th place, the sprinter had a bad start but ran as strong as he could to pass everyone. Mallick loves to start from a further distance from the 100m finish line so he can save his sprint for the final stretch.
A keen follower of Carl Lewis’s career, Mallick says that national record-holder and four-time Olympian is an inspiration for him. He also trained under the legendary coach Glen Mills.
Amiya Kumar Mallick, track & field athlete said “I learned a lot from Jeffery Gibson’s coaching; the training regimen which was followed in Jamaica.
Besides I was given proper exposure in 2016 after breaking the national record of 800m by clocking 01:49.46 seconds.”
Amiya Mallick was questioned about his views on the Olympics being postponed and if it’s a good thing for him when he answered, “I don’t want to see it as a blessing in disguise, as people are suffering because of the pandemic.
I hope everything goes back to normal, then I can proceed with my plan of going to Tokyo.”
Mallick said, “Change is unavoidable unless we find a vaccine and everyone’s health is a top priority at present. Here digital platforms will play a major role and fans can use social platforms to discuss their favorite athlete and team.”
Sunil Gavaskar agrees with Amiya Mallick. The former Indian cricketer, who was also present at the event, said that the lack of fans would affect the players’ motivation in the sport, especially for those playing for the nation.
Sunil believes that when a sportsperson is out on the field, it’s not just him playing, but more than twenty million people from his country backing him up.
Mallick, like many other athletes, is caught in a difficult predicament.
There is an outbreak of a deadly virus in India and athletes have been advised
not to travel to the country until the situation improves.
