Tejaswin Shankar is bracing up for a yr of transition — each on and off the sector.
This summer season he’ll shift his base again to India from the USA, the place he spent six lengthy years finishing his research from Kansas State College. He’s presently working as an auditor at Deloitte there.
The 24-year-old Delhi athlete had moved to the US as a promising teenage excessive jumper. He’ll return as an elite worldwide athlete – a Commonwealth Video games medallist, two-time NCAA champion, a nationwide file holder in excessive bounce (2.29m), and now excelling in a gruelling self-discipline just like the decathlon. In truth, Shankar fell wanting the nationwide file within the decathlon by simply 10 factors – he scored 7648 factors — just lately at a meet in Arizona. It’s fairly a profitable transition.
However it’s the change in his persona past the boundaries of sport that made him really feel he would discover adapting in India to be a problem. The actual fact is he’s not a median Indian elite sportsperson obsessive about profitable a medal for the nation within the Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Video games. That’s not to say that Shankar doesn’t nurse the dream of the Olympics – 2024 Paris Video games is on his thoughts. It’s simply that he’s tuned in another way. What Shankar is on a relentless lookout for are alternatives — a job, or making an attempt out a brand new factor. It makes him really feel extra productive and enhances his sporting journey.
“I plan to come back again to India this summer season in order that will likely be a change of base, my VISA expires right here and I don’t need to overstay my welcome,” Shankar laughs. “Bas man bhar gaya hai; I need to come again residence. Hopefully I can do one thing the place I’m juggling a number of issues. That’s necessary for my psychological well being. I really feel I’m extra productive that means.”
On the sector, he has his plans charted out for the season. He desires to qualify for the Asian Championships and Asian Video games within the decathlon and would goal the excessive bounce for the world championships. At residence, he’ll compete on the Federation Cup in Bhubaneshwar from June 12-15 and the Nationwide Inter-State Championships in Ranchi from July 26-30 within the decathlon.
“I need to make the transition to decathlon whereas remaining aggressive within the excessive bounce. So, I’ll persist with my pet occasion, particularly when I’m competing on the world degree. I’ve competed in a single or two rating meets in excessive jumps so my objective is to get one other three meets and enhance my world rankings. I believe I’ve higher possibilities of making it to the world championships this yr or the Paris Olympics within the excessive bounce.
“On the Asian degree, I really feel I actually have shot in decathlon – my coach additionally feels the identical. Finally, I do see myself, possibly shifting into decathlon and being extra aggressive.”
Shankar will base himself on the Encourage Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary. “It has facility. They’ve supported me via this journey within the US. My plan is to get the programme from my coach (Cliff Rovelto) and I would take somebody’s steerage. These are issues I have to iron out.”
And what about having a full-time job again in India, “Within the US you have got the work-life flexibility. In India, are you able to think about working 9 to five and going to coaching? Perhaps it is the climate. I’ve spent 5-6 years within the US and it will likely be a special atmosphere. However I believe it’s greatest for me if I do a number of issues — like a decathlon in actual life.”