BIRMINGHAM: Sometimes standing in long, unmoving queues can also have its benefits. And when it's akin to a graveyard shift, all the better.
Your correspondent, all of five-feet-11, mask on mouth, documents in hand, was hopping on either foot for the Delhi-Dubai-Birmingham check-in to move even one inch. It was well past midnight, yawns were being stifled when suddenly he was dwarfed by a good six foot plus frame who ambled up right behind. In the sudden discomfort of having to raise the head and look up to someone, it was difficult to recognize the face behind the mask. The India CWG jersey made one more curious.
A cursory glance towards his bag showed an embossed 'Kansas NCAA'. The brain did the small math and the right hand was extended for a hand- shake: "Tejaswin Shankar?"
The answer in affirmative, mutual introductions followed. What ensued then was a 14-hour long 'brief encounter' across departure lounges and over the skies, with discussions ranging from yoga, spirituality, politics and sport.
Just a day earlier, our man was watching the opening ceremony in Birmingham, on TV from his home in Delhi. "I received my visa and tickets as late as Friday morning. I had almost given up hope, thinking I might have to watch the Games on the TV," said the 23-year-old Indian high jumper.
The last-minute visa and rushed departure struck a mutual chord, because forget the visa, Tejaswin's participation itself in the CWG wasn't clear till just a week back. For an entire month, he was in complete dilemma whether he would be able to participate or not.
After the Athletics Federation of India denied him a spot in the team although he had achieved the set qualification mark, Tejaswin was given relief by a Delhi court and was included in the Indian team. But when all seemed settled, the CWG organisers were not accepting his entry.
On June 22, his entry was finally approved. It was a race against time after that, completing visa formalities, biometrics etc. "I was convinced that I wasn't participating," he laughed. Tejaswin's qualifying rounds are in the evening session on August 2. "I have just two days' time to recuperate from this long journey before my event," he said, "For the next 10-12 hours I will sleep and later go to the stadium. I like to visualise how I am going to go about things."
Tejaswin then spoke of how important it is for an athlete to peak at the right time. "That's what we call periodization," he explained, "Scheduling your training or participation in subsidiary tournaments in such a way that when the marquee event comes, you are at the top of your game. Most of the talk is about 'aur mehnat karenge, jaan laga denge. But it is not all about hard work, it is about smart work," he smiled.
