Young long jumper aims high

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For K. Prem Kumar, 19 from Thanjavur, nothing is more important than long jumps which he practices every day.

Sleeping on a mat in a small room with five others is not a deterrent for this youth who is determined to give his very best at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

“I will win a medal at the Olympics,” the Asian junior bronze medallist told this newspaper. Having lost his father at a young age, Prem Kumar has been raised by his mother Uma Rani who works in a church at Orathanadu in Thanjavur.

The young boy started jumping, literally, while studying in Class IX. “I used to take part in school competitions and during one such meet I met coach P. Nagarajan, who asked me to move to Chennai,” said Prem Kumar.

After joining Mr Pachaiyappa’s school, he began training scientifically under the able guidance of Mr Nagarajan, who enrolled him at St Joseph Sports Academy.

Prem Kumar’s first big success came at the national junior meet, where he bagged gold with a jump of 7.86 metres in 2010. Recently at the Asian indoor trial at Bengaluru, he touched his personal best of 7.92 metres. However, he fumbled at his first few international meets.

“I am a non-vegetarian. But I couldn’t stand the food available at China and Spain. They were not cooked as in India. The smell itself was not palatable,” he said.

But the young champion did not get bogged down. “I am slowly getting used to that food. I have decided not to use that as a reason anymore for my below-average performance. I will surely achieve bigger success in the next international meet,” he added.

In June Prem Kumar won a bronze at the Asian junior championships at Colombo with a jump of 7.52 metres, before that in February, his 7.62 metres jump had helped him get a bronze at the Asian senior indoor championship at China.

While the long jumper has set his eyes on the Rio Olympics, he has decided not to pursue his studies nor take up a job immediately.

“My mother earns about Rs 7,000 per month and she sends me some money. I try not to trouble her much.

My club is also helping me. At present my concentration is only on training. I will take up a job after reaching my goal of winning an Olympic medal,” he said.

sujatha.s@deccanmail.com [2]