'I Expected 87m From him,' Says Javelin Thrower DP Manu's Coach Kashinath Naik

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Javelin thrower Manu DP won a gold medal with a best throw of 81.91m at the Indian Grand Prix I in Bengaluru but fell short of the Paris Olympics qualification mark.

In a post-match interview with myKhel, Kashinath Naik, the coach of Javelin thrower DP Manu, expressed disappointment over Manu's performance at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bengaluru.

Naik had high hopes for Manu, anticipating a breakthrough performance that would have met the Paris Olympics qualification mark of 85.50 meters.

"Everyone was hoping that today (Tuesday), DP Manu would breach the qualification mark of 85.50 meters for the Paris Olympics," Naik remarked. "We had hoped that he would have thrown at least 87 meters today."

However, Naik noted that things didn't go as planned. "Today, from the start, his release angle was off. I could see throughout that he couldn't throw properly, which resulted in a distance of only 81.91 meters. So, it was a very disappointing throw."

Reflecting on their preparations for the Indian Grand Prix 1, Naik revealed, "We had planned that since the Grand Prix is here, we would practice here. And during practice, everything was going well. So, I was hoping that today he would do his best."

Despite the initial plan, Naik sensed something wasn't right from the beginning. "Right from the start, I was a little confused because of the three throws. Until you throw line to line in the proper way, your power is not at the right level."

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and Asian Games 2022 medalist Kishore Jena have already qualified for the Paris Olympics. India can send three participants to Paris. Throwers can qualify either by meeting the minimum standard of 85.50m or by ranking among the top 32 throwers in the world at the end of the qualification cycle.

The race is now between DP Manu and Rohit Yadav. Rohit Yadav is currently training at NIS Patiala, and he will start his season in the Federation Cup, which will be his first competition after the elbow injury.

When asked if 85.50 is too tough for Manu, Naik said, "No, I feel that he was overconfident. I felt that the way he was throwing, his power was not enough. He was trying to save his energy to throw properly. Because of that, his line and release of angle was not good."

Looking ahead, Naik remained optimistic about Manu's future performances. "We have the Federation Cup and Inter-State Athletics Championships coming up, so we will try our best there."

He concluded with a pledge to stick to their training regimen. "We were doing in practice, we will try to do the same in the competition cup. So, we will do our best in the upcoming competitions."

Last year, DP Manu won the silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships and finished in 6th position with a best throw of 84.14m at the World Championships in Budapest.

While Manu's performance at the Indian Grand Prix 1 fell short of expectations, Naik's words indicate a determination to rectify the shortcomings and aim for success in the upcoming events.