Anas dedicates silver medal show to Kerala flood victims

KOCHI: Muhammed Anas who bagged a silver medal in the men's 400m event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on Sunday, promptly dedicated his performance to Kerala flood victims.
"I dedicate this medal to all victims who suffered in the recent floods back home. Hope this show (silver medal) will bring smiles to their untold sufferings. And this is also to my coaches Ansar and Shibi Sebastian (during school days), Kunhi Mohammed (services coach) and Jaikumar (current personal coach) and each one who backed me all these years to achieve this feat ," Anas told TOI on Sunday from Jakarta.
In the last edition at Incheon, Arokia Rajiv won a bronze in 400m after Paramjit Singh who won a bronze in 1998 Bangkok Asiad. Before that effort, in 1982 Delhi Asiad, KK Premachandran who hailed from Palakkad in Kerala won a silver medal. Others in the exclusive club include Ajmer Singh (gold, 1966 Bangkok), Milkha Sing (gold in 1958 Tokyo, '62 Jakarta), Joginder Singh (silver in 1954 Manila) and Govid Singh (bronze, in 1951 Delhi Asiad).
Anas also bought himself an early birthday present as he will turn 25 on September 17.
Union sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a silver medallist in shooting in 2004 Athens Olympic Games, who watched the race race from the gallery complimeted him. "He told me I can achieve better as I'm fighter," Anas said.
Anas beat his own expectations. Before catching the flight to Jakarta, he was modest in his prospects. "It's sheer waste of time and energy to dwell on medal prospects now. All I can say is that I can be on podium if I run 400m in sub-45 seconds," Anas had told TOI last week from his training camp in Czech Republic.
In April Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, he ran the race of his life to finish an admirable fourth place with a time of 45.31 seconds and broke the national record. After Milkha, he was only the second Indian to enter final of CWG. Milkha's feat of 46.6s was in 1958 Melbourne CWG.
Again, on July 21, he bettered once again his own national record bringing it to 45.24s at Nové Mesto nad Metují in Czech Republic.
His effort in the final on Sunday was clocked at 45.69s. Even though he didn't have to go sub-45s, the lad from Nilamel in Kollam district is happy to win the prestigious Asian Games medal. In the last 50m in the final on Sunday, he put himself in tight spot by trying to catch up with the leader Abdalelah Hassan of Qatar who won the gold (44.89s). Ali Khamis of Bahrain settled for bronze (45.70s).
"I did my best to see our national flag fly high. Next stop is Tokyo," Anas said.
His personal coach PB Jaikumar who was instrumental in Anas' rapid rise feels his ward can be a strong contender for Tokyo Olympics.
"I'm not boasting about Anas. He is a coach's delight. He is one of the most disciplined athlete off and on the track and mentally strong too. I have been telling this for past two to three years. Anas is priming to be one of the greatest athlete in India," Jaikumar said.
Anas will also be competing in 200m (personal best 20.74s at Gliwice in Poland on June 10, 2018), 4x400m and 4x400m mixed relay events in the next four days.