Muhammed Anas takes dream flight to Rio games

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bettering national records twice in two days, Kerala lad Muhammed Anas sealed his place in the Indian athletics contingent for Rio

Olympics

. Participating in the Polish National Championship at Bydgoszcz, Anas ran the race of his life on Saturday to grab gold in men's 400m, setting a new national mark of 45.40 seconds, which was the cut-off mark for Rio. He pushed former national record-holder

Arokia Rajiv

(45.60s) to second place.

A day earlier, Anas had set a national record by clocking 45.44 seconds to better the existing time of 45.47 seconds by Rajiv. However, Anas had missed out on Oly qualification by 4100th of a second on Friday. Putting that disappointment behind him, the 21-year-old returned to better his own record and ensure his maiden entry into Olympics. "This has to be the best moment in my career and it hasn't yet sunk in that I have qualified for Olympics. I would like to thank my coaches Ansar sir and Jaikumar sir," the lad from Nilamel in Kollam told TOIfrom Poland.

Anas attended summer camps at MMHSS, Nilamel and it was where he found his mentor B Ansar, a physical education teacher at the school. "I realised his potential at a young age. I took him to Mar Basil HSS Kothamangalam for Plus Two.That was the time also he lost his father. At Mar Basil, they tried him in 400m and 400m hurdles," Ansar told TOI. Another important person in Anas' trail to glory is the

Kerala State Sports

council's elite academy coach PB Jaikumar. "I am glad to get him at the right time as he wasn't spoilt by stressful school meets. I bet he will be the first Indian to go under 45 seconds," Jaikumar said.