Abdulla Aboobacker eyes season’s best to boost Worlds hopes

CHENNAI: Triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker could not have asked for a better start to the season, leaping 17.19m in his first meet – Indian Open jumps competition. While he has not breached the 17m mark since, he has done enough to remain in contention for a spot at the World Championships, by winning a few competitions.

The Inter-State Athletics meet, beginning here on Wednesday, will allow him to have another bite at the cherry. “I am looking to get to my season-best mark here, which will boost my confidence ahead of the World Championships. With Praveen Chithravel and other top triple jumpers competing here, I hope the competition will be tough and we push each other,” Aboobacker said after his practice session on Tuesday.

The last time Aboobacker competed in Chennai was at the inter-state competition in 2022, where he came close to his personal best of 17.19m. He went on to have a great year, clinching silver at the Commonwealth Games later.

Aboobacker had hoped to break new ground this season, but things did not go as planned. “The season started with a lot of motivation. I believed I could reach 17.40m or even 17.50m, but unfortunately, it did not work out,” he added.

If Aboobacker qualifies for the Worlds, it will mark his third appearance at the global extravaganza. He struggled in his previous outings, failing to reach the final on both occasions. The triple jumper said that adapting to foreign conditions, especially different tracks, is difficult.

“In India, we mainly train on synthetic tracks, but at top-level competitions like the World Championships and Olympics, they use Mondo tracks. Sprinters can adjust, but athletes in events like pole vault, triple jump, and long jump find it difficult to adapt.

“Jumping on a Mondo track is like jumping on a mat. The speed is very good, but the track is very hard. I get to train on a Mondo track for only one week before any big event, which is not enough. I have spent many years trying to prove myself at the world level and I do not want to see my hard work getting wasted in a few attempts. I have requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to install Mondo tracks, and I hope more tracks will be available in the future to help young athletes.”