India will win 4-5 medals in Tokyo Olympics, says Arpinder Singh

What does the Asian Games gold mean to you?

This medal will boost my future performances. This is a very big achievement for me. In the 2014 Asian Games, I was at my peak but still missed the medal. I came fifth (16.41m). In this year's Commonwealth Games, I finished fourth (16.46m). Hoped that I would do well in the Asian Games. It was good (16.77m). This gold will boost my confidence for the future.

The athletics contingent did very well at the Asiad. What was the mood like?

The mood was very good. Whoever was participating in competitions was winning gold or silver. Nobody was returning empty handed. Some were even surprised that they did wonders. It was a boost for everyone and each one of us felt 'I also want to win a medal'.

Would you say Indian athletics is on a high following the 19 medals at the Asian Games (7 gold, 10 silver, 2 bronze)?

The Athletics Federation of India has been encouraging us athletes. Performances of Indian athletes are high of late. There are four-five athletes of world standard. It was very humid in Jakarta because of which performances dipped a bit. Hopefully, with these kinds of performances, India will win 4-5 medals in Tokyo Olympics.

How much did the first gold medal in track and field by Tajinderpal Singh Toor in shot put boost the morale of other athletes in Jakarta?

Tejinderpal and I were roommates. We would go out together and we also have the same taste for music. He won gold on August 25, and my event was on August 29. There was a gap of four days between his event and mine. He used to encourage me saying 'you will win gold' and 'you will create a new national record'. We have many things in common, speak the same language, feel comfortable in each other's company, listen to the same songs. His presence has boosted my performance. I feel comfortable in his company.

Your personal best of 17.17m came way back in 2014. What happened after that?

Compared to 2014, I have now gained experience. Now, I understand every minute detail well. I did 17.09 in the inter-state championships in June. As a result, I was Asian No. 1. I hoped that I would perform well in Jakarta but humidity was a factor.

What should you be doing to stay consistent in your field?

The training that I undergo is quite good. When I trained in London for a year (2015-16), my technique changed. We are correcting whatever technical mistakes I was doing earlier like problems in landing. I have corrected my speed, strength and balance. Just a few technical points are being worked at. Once they are sorted, I am confident of clearing 17.30m, 17.40m.

How difficult was it to adapt to the new technique after having jumped with the earlier one for a long time?

Yes, definitely it was difficult because you have been jumping with the same old technique for 7-8 years. Now, to totally change to a new technique in six months to a year was almost impossible. I still tried as the coach (former Commonwealth Games champion John Herbert) said. It became difficult, performances started to drop. But, I followed what the coach, who is very good, said. He was doing it for my benefit, correcting my faulty technique. Things started to improve. Hopefully, next year, I will improve my marks.

You said the performances started to drop. Did you start doubting the new technique?

No, I did not have doubts because I had a belief that 'when I could do it earlier, why not now?' Earlier, I was young. Now, I am matured and understand everything better. Inside me, I had the confidence. In the run up to the 2016 Olympics, my marks were 15.93m, 15.98m, and did not touch 16m even once. After one year's training in London, I straightaway touched 16.75m and missed the World Championship qualifying mark of 16.80m by five centimetres. It was a good sign that 'Yes, I have come back'.

How has life changed since you won Asiad gold?

This is a huge medal for me and a big motivation for me to do well in the future. It feels nice to receive the attention after the Asiad gold, being able to walk the ramp for Godrej Cinthol male grooming products (in Mumbai on Tuesday). It feels good and is a kind of motivation that if I do well in Olympics, the recognition will be even more. Life has changed for the better after the Asiad gold.

You did long jump before shifting to triple jump. Why did you opt for triple jump?

I have tried many disciplines and failed in each of them. I tried 100m and failed in it. Tried 400m, then long jump and failed. But my father encouraged me to stay in athletics. Then, there was this coach in Amritsar, who suggested that I try triple jump. I did not know much about triple jump then and he showed me how to go about it. Then, I started liking it and performances also improved. This was in 2004-05 when technology was not that advanced. Coach simply used to show me how to hop, step and jump. It took me one month to just learn hop, step and jump.

What were the struggles in your early days as a sportsperson?

In 2006, I suffered a back injury while doing full squat and doctor said that I had to take bed rest for three months. My father supported me throughout that I should not have any shortcomings in my sport. So, there have not been struggles as such.

What has been the turning point of your career?

The 17.17m I did in 2014 became my life's turning point. It became a new national record, I qualified for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, my name came in the TOPS list and it was such an important phase of my life that I was determined to achieve something in life.

You became the first Indian to win a Continental Cup medal – bronze – in Czech Republic with 16.59m earlier this month. What can these recent back-to-back medals mean?

Winning an Asiad gold medal itself among the tough competition was a big thing. That boosted my confidence that I will go to Continental Cup and improve my jumps. But when I went to Delhi after the Asiad, I could not train as there were felicitation function one after another. Training took a beating for 10 days and when I went to Ostrava for the competition, I was lucky that I jumped and won a medal.

How much is the difference in the way you train and the top-level triple jumpers like reigning world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor (of USA), 17.59 in Czech vs your 16.59) do? Do you exchange notes?

Yes, we do exchange notes. Diet is the main factor. Their diet is completely different. We don't have a proper diet that the top-level athletes have. They give importance to minute details in their training and have a dietician travelling with them, physios are with them always working on every muscle in the body. They know that 'so and so muscle is tight', 'this muscle needs to be relaxed', there is research in every area of training using technology and videos, which is not so high as far as we are concerned. When I was in London, the coach used to work on every area, core, speed, balance. It was just my bad luck that I could not improve my performance after coming back from London. People there had high hopes on me that I would do well.

What are the realistic chances for you at 2020 Tokyo Games?

I take step by step. Before Olympics, there are Asian Track and Field Championships and the World Championships next year. I hope to improve my performances there and then look at the Olympics in 2020. I have set my goal at 17.60m for the Olympics and that should be a sure medal, it cannot go out of the medal bracket. I am confident of that and it is not that difficult, either.

What other things interest you?

Listening to music and taking photographs are my other interests.

DID YOU KNOW

Arpinder Singh held the triple jump national record (17.17m) from June 2014 to July 2016 before Renjith Maheswary shattered it with a 17.30m jump at the Indian GP in Bengaluru

KNOW ARPINDER

Full name: Arpinder Singh

Nick name: Bobby

Born: December 30, 1992 in Harsha Chhina, Punjab

Sport: Athletics, track and field, triple jump

PERSONAL BEST:

Outdoor: 17.17m in Lucknow, June 8, 2014

Indoor: 16.21m in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, September 20, 2017

Season's best: 17.09m, Guwahati inter-state championships, June 2018