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Running away with records
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Mohammed Muddassir has been busy running into the record books while clinching gold in the 100-metre and 200-metre races. He bagged a double in the recent National School Games athletic championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The 17-year-old promises more while leaving fresh marks of success on the track.
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Photo: G. P. Sampath Kumar
Karnataka's Mohammed Muddassir: All for the gold.
HIS WIRY frame packs a punch. And on the track, his footprints burn old records. Mohammed Muddassir Ikkery runs hard and gets high.
The 17-year-old Bangalore lad bagged a double over the last weekend, winning gold in the boys under-19 100-metre and 200-metre events of the 48th National School Games Athletic Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. He also rewrote the record books, clocking 21.3 seconds in the 200-metres and 10.7 seconds in the 100 metres. "I am happy with my timing and with the progress I have made in the last two years,'' he said.
Progress has been a constant ally ever since he wore his running shoes while representing Imamia High School in junior athletic meets. In the recent National School Games, he bettered his personal best of 10.96 seconds (100 metres) and 22.03 seconds (200 metres) clocked at the recent Junior National Meet at Shimoga. And he is busy dreaming about beating his personal clock every time he runs. "I have had better timings during my practise stints and hopefully when I compete in the State senior meet, I will improve on my timings," he said.
At school, he relished the adrenaline rush of running hard and soon switched over from the static mode of a football goalkeeper to the kinetic energy of a charged up runner. "Yes, football was a favourite with me and I was the school goalkeeper but then after running in the inter-school meets I decided to change tracks. I love running," he said.
The track beckoned and soon his running shoes were leaving marks of promise inside the Sree Kanteerava Stadium as he trained hard with the Arjun Track and Field Club under the guidance of coach Ajay Kumar. Soon he became a regular on the victors' podium bagging gold in the 200-metre event while suffering the odd silver in the 100-metre dash. The 100-metre blues were often triggered by a blip in his running spirit - a weak start.
"I am bad in the first 50 metres and I am very good in the last 50 metres and that can prove costly in a 100-metre dash," he said.
"I am working on my start. In the National School Meet here, I had a good start as I was very conscious about Surinder on my left and Layesh on my right. They are good athletes and I was aware that I had to get up with them. It worked for me and once I cleared 50 metres, I knew I will win the race," he said, on his late burst that helped him equal the existing meet record at 10.7 seconds.
It was a race that left vernacular dailies gifting him the nickname "Karnataka's hurricane", while he pumped his fists after leaving Layesh and Surinder's hopes in a blur.
His weakness often proves to be a strength in the 200-metres as he bides his time before bursting ahead to leave rivals breathless. "He is excellent in the 200-metre and if only he improves his start, then no one can stop him in the 100-metres. Mark my words, he is a special talent and hopefully we will hear more about him in the years to come. I look at him as a definite prospect at the Asian Games level. His strength is obviously a lovely action. It is very natural and helps him to maximise his effort," said Arjun Devaiah, former international athlete and national champion in the 200-metre and 400-metre events.
The Al-Ameen College Pre-University class student is conscious about his chinks. "I need to work on my leg cycles, sometimes my legs go wide rather than sprint in a straight fashion but I am happy with my arm movement, I think I kept it straight in my races at the School Games. I am working hard and I am looking at running as a long term affair.
Coach Ajay Kumar and assistant coaches Prakash and Devraj have helped me a lot in improving my technique. I owe a lot to them and my family has also been very supportive," he said.
His father Mr. Musaddique, a businessman who left his hometown Bhatkal more than two decades back, is a regular spectator hovering close to the finishing line watching Muddassir blaze ahead.
"I want him to develop as a runner and we are not looking at athletics as a means of getting a job. But yes, he needs to improve upon his academic marks," Mr. Musaddique said.
Muddassir spends three hours every evening honing his skills at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. "Running is fun but it is also serious and you have to work hard at it. If you want to achieve something, you have to work for it. Sometimes I feel bad when I see some athletes taking it easy during practise stints," he said.
Scaling fresh benchmarks in the senior level and testing international waters are the future signposts that await Muddassir. "I will be competing with State champions Clifford Joshua and Parmesh in the State senior meet and I am also part of the Indian junior team for the World Youth Championship at Canada later this year. The exposure will help me become aware of where I stand in the senior level," he said.
The 400-metre event is another fresh road that welcomes Muddassir's gaze.
"I will train for the 400-metres too. Senior coaches, whom I met at Shimoga, asked me to test it as I have good stamina and I seem to get better after the first 50 metres. But my pet events now remain the 100-metre and 200-metre races. And I prefer the synthetic track since I train on it. Cinder tracks can be hard though the one at Shimoga was good to run on as it was a fast track," he said.
Muddassir, unlike many in his age group, prefers running and watching football while cricket remains a distant sport that is often dismissed with a flick of the remote. "Sometimes I watch some cricket provided the match is interesting, otherwise give me football any day," he said.
The boys who idolises Beenamol's running style is keen to leave his own distinct mark. And with humility and a strong work ethic being essential components in his kitbag, Muddassir is bound to go places while doing what he loves the most - running.
K. C. VIJAYA KUMAR
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