Mission Olympics: Fit-again K T Irfan ready to walk the talk
For a year after Asiad, Irfan (R) had to undergo therapy in his right ankle. (Source: File)
Over the past few months KT Irfan has been literally looking over his shoulder, keenly watching the timings recorded in the men’s 20 kilometres race walk, an Olympic event in which he is the national record holder. Irfan had set the mark when he finished a credible 10th at the London Games.
With Rio less than six months away, five Indians have qualified for the Olympics in the event (two in both the 20k and the 50k) over the past year, a period in which Irfan has been systematically preparing for his return following an ankle injury, which first surfaced before the 2014 Asian Games.
The discomfort, at times accompanied by shooting pain in his right ankle, needed therapy which lasted for a year after the Incheon Games. The build-up to gaining full fitness to compete in the 20-kilometre long event eventually returned only a couple of months back and Irfan will now pit himself against the current best walkers in the country—Gurmeet Singh, Baljinder Singh and Chandan Singh — at the National Open Race Walk Championships in Jaipur on Saturday.
“This will be my first competition after the Incheon Asian Games. I have been training since October at Thiruvananthapuram at the national camp. We also underwent high-altitude training in Ooty for a month and a half. So I believe I am well-prepared. But I will be competing against walkers who have been consistent and those who have already qualified for the event. My true test will be when I compete on Saturday as this is my first competition in over a year,” Irfan said.
The time out because of injury helped Irfan address shortcomings, including a relatively weak upper body. The highly technical event, puts heavy strain on the lower back, hips and requires athletes to maintain a balanced posture. Adding strength without bulking up helps in improving efficiency.
Dr Kenjom Ngomdir, the head of the Central Reserve Police Force’s sports medicine centre in Delhi, recalls the rehabilitation programme Irfan was put through while in Delhi.
“We put him through a combination of aquatic therapy and training, including on the cross trainer and rowing machine and walks in parks. The frequency and the intensity was build up gradually. We also put focus on his mental conditioning as it was important because an injury, especially one which needs time to recover from, can be frustrating for an athlete,” Dr Ngomdir said.
The buoyancy of the water during aquatic therapy helped Irfan, who had a stress-related ankle injury, to build strength in his joint while at the same time not exposing it to pressure.
He was also found to be lacking in Vitamin D, a deficiency walkers tend to have because they usually train for the 20k or the 50k event before dawn and limit their exposure to the sunlight. “I did sunbathing to ensure that my body produced enough Vitamin D. Through a combination of aquatic therapy and carefully-monitored gym training, I gained strength. I also swam a lot to build endurance. As my ankle became better I started walking a lot more,” Irfan said.
The parks in Delhi, in Mehrauli, Vasant Kunj, and the Lodhi Garden and Nehru Park, were the recreational spots where Irfan first tested the strength of his ankle.
He also stayed in the vicinity of the Vasant Kunj Sports Complex and trained at the Khazan Singh Swimming Academy. “The locations where Irfan stayed and trained was made so that he could see others train and play and be in touch with sportspersons. It was an environment which ensured his mind-set was positive,” Dr Ngomdir said.
On Saturday, Irfan can gauge where he stands in the pecking order of the 20 kilometre race walk. The qualifying standard for men for the Rio Games is set at 1 hour and 24 minutes while Irfan’s national record stands at 1:20.21 (London Olympics). And while Irfan’s mark remains the benchmark, he will have to register a timing not only within the qualifying norms but also good enough to be among the three best in the country (entries are restricted to three walkers per event for a country) to make it to Rio.
“It is too early to say if I will be able to qualify for the Rio Games. But I am hoping to make the cut over the next few months. Earlier 1:24.00 used to be considered a good timing for Indian race walkers, but now there are many walkers registering sub 1:23.00 timings. The competition is intense and it won’t be easy. If I can finish in the top-three at the National Open Race Walking in Jaipur, it will be a big step for me in my comeback.”
