GUWAHATI: He gave India a bronze medal in the recently concluded U-20 Asian Athletics Championship held in South Korea. Mehdi Hasan, an athlete from North Athiabari near Barpeta Road, in a conversation with The Sentinel during a felicitation function organized by the Assam Athletics Association, shared his early days on the track and the future plans. Here is the excerpt.
The Sentinel (TS): How have you come in athletics?
Mehdi: My father Abul Kalam Azad was a state level runner. He always encouraged me to become an athlete and what I am today was only because of him.
(TS): Share your early days on the track.
Mehdi: I started my training at Sarusajai Sports complex under the supervision of two coaches Nipon Das and Nabajit Malakar. Later I went to Kolkata and also trained in Sikkim. The high altitude training in Sikkim helped me a lot during the post Covid phase. Now I am training at Bhopal under the supervision of Anupama Srivastava.
(TS): How was your journey in various competitions during the early part of your career?
Mehdi: It’s partly good and partly bad. After the first phase of lockdown, Guwahati hosted the 32nd East Zone Junior Athletics Championship and I was well prepared for the meet. But I fractured my ankle just a few days before the competition and was so upset with this incident that I was planning to quit athletics. However my father gave me good support that time and with the help of doctors I returned to the track and started to practice. My timing started to improve gradually and I did well in various national level meets and finally booked a berth in the Indian team that took part U-20 Asian Athletics Championship held in South Korea.
(TS): Initially you were a short distance runner but now you have shifted to long distance....Any specific reason !
Mehdi: It was the suggestion of my coach that I moved to a long distance event. In Asian U-20 championship trials, Anupama madam advised me to focus on the heats of the 1,500m so that I could be well prepared for 800m. But in the heats, I recorded the fastest time among 48 athletes and qualified for the event in Korea.
(TS): Will you continue in 1500mts?
Mehdi: (With laugh) Not decided yet. I shall discuss the matter with the coach and will take the final decision thereafter.
(TS): What about your future plans !
Mehdi: Right now I am focussing on doing well in various U-20 national and international events. I shall continue to work hard and deliver good performances to make my country, my state, my people and my family proud.