Apne career ke final season mein utar rahe Bharat ke star swimmer Sajan Prakash ka target bilkul saaf hai—apne final Commonwealth Games mein podium finish hasil karna aur apna personal best performance dena.
Paris Olympics ke baad burnout ki wajah se kuch samay ka break lene wale Sajan ne last year pool mein wapsi ki. Unhone is saal ki shuruaat mein Swimming Federation of India dwara men’s 200m butterfly event ke liye tay qualification timing ko paar karte huye 23 July se Glasgow mein start hone wale Commonwealth Games aur September mein hone wale Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games ke liye qualify kiya.
“Medal jeetna achha rahega aur personal best time nikalna bhi bahut achha hoga. Maine iske liye poori mehnat ki hai. Mera target 1:56 ya phir 1:55 ka timing nikalna hai,” shaant swabhav ke butterfly specialist Sajan ne PTI se kaha. Halanki, Sajan ke liye Glasgow mein safalta sirf medal ke rang se nahi maapi jayegi.
Unhone kaha, “Sabse zaroori baat hai ki main apna 100% effort dun aur poori process ko sahi tareeke se follow karun. Log timing ya medal dekhenge, lekin mujhe khud se khushi tabhi mehsoos hogi jab mujhe pata hoga ki maine apna poora zor laga diya.”
Sajan Prakash Ka Commonwealth Games Mission
Sajan ne saal 2021 mein Rome mein huye Sette Colli Trophy mein 1:56.38 ka apna personal best timing nikala tha. Isi performance ke saath woh Olympic ‘A’ qualification standard hasil karne wale first Indian swimmer bane the.
Paanch saal baad bhi podium unka sabse bada target hai. Halanki, March mein Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships mein 1:57.09 ka timing nikalne wale Sajan jaante hain ki is baar muqabla kaafi mushkil hoga.
“Podium par pahunchna hi mera goal hai, lekin ye bahut tough hone wala hai, kyunki is event mein Australia aur Britain ke swimmers bahut tez honge,” Sajan ne kaha.
Intensive Training Mein Jute Sajan
Sajan filhaal Edinburgh mein teen hafton ke speed-training camp mein hissa le rahe hain, jahan woh Commonwealth Games se pehle apni taiyari ko aur behtar banana chahte hain.
Unhone kaha, “Maksad yahan ke mausam aur conditions ke hisaab se khud ko dhalna hai, taaki hum Games ke liye aur zyada taiyar ho saken. 1:57 ka timing nikalne ke baad maine poori mehnat ki hai. Ab mera target 1:56 ya phir 1:55 ka timing hasil karna hai.
“Agar do baar ke Olympian Sajan 1:56 se kam ka timing nikalne mein safal hote hain, to woh medal ki race mein mazboot daavedar ban sakte hain. 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games mein Lewis Clareburt ne 1:55.60 ke saath gold, Chad le Clos ne 1:55.89 ke saath silver aur James Guy ne 1:56.77 ke saath bronze medal jeeta tha.
Edinburgh Jaane Se Pehle High-Altitude Training Edinburgh ravana hone se pehle Sajan ne Spain ke Sierra Nevada mein teen hafton tak high-altitude training ki.
High-altitude training ki zarurat batate huye unhone kaha, “Zyada unchai par hawa mein oxygen kam hoti hai aur mahaul kaafi dry hota hai. Is wajah se recovery dheere hoti hai aur training karna bhi kaafi mushkil ho jata hai.
“Unhone aage kaha, “Hum aisi tough conditions mein training karke apni aerobic capacity ko behtar banate hain. Jab hum wapas sea level par aate hain, to recovery kaafi achhi ho jaati hai aur metabolism lagbhag do guna behtar tareeke se kaam karta hai. Iska seedha asar performance par bhi padta hai aur woh aur behtar ho jaati hai.”
Nayi Coaching Partnership Aur Recovery Par Focus
Sajan ki wapsi ke saath ek nayi coaching partnership bhi dekhne ko mili hai. Bharat ke poorv swimmer aur Asian Games medalist Sandeep Sejwal ab unke coach ki bhoomika nibha rahe hain. Sandeep hi multi-sport event mein Bharat ke liye podium ke top par khade hone wale aakhri Bharatiya swimmer bhi hain.
Sajan ne kaha, “Maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ki Sandeep mere coach banenge. Lekin unhone itne saalon tak India ke liye swimming ki hai. Woh mere dost aur teammate bhi rahe hain, isliye hamare beech understanding kaafi behtar hai.”
Sajan ne kaha, “Pool ke bahar hum dono kaafi masti karte hain, lekin pool ke andar mujhe unpar poora bharosa hai. Woh itne saalon tak us level par swim kar chuke hain, isliye meri baaton ko achhi tarah samajhte hain aur usi hisaab se saath dete hain. Training aur recovery ko lekar hamari understanding shayad aur bhi behtar hai.”
Recovery Par Sabse Zyada Focus
Ab Sajan ki taiyari ka sabse aham hissa recovery ban chuki hai. 32 saal ki umr mein unhone apne training ke tareeke mein bhi badlav kiya hai.
Unhone kaha, “Ab meri priority sirf hard training karna nahi, balki recovery par focus karna hai, jaise main 10 saal pehle karta tha. Mehnat ka phase poora ho chuka hai. Ab hum fitness ko maintain karne aur aerobic conditioning par kaam kar rahe hain, lekin sabse zyada dhyan power badhane par hai.”
