Date:22/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/22/stories/2006122208032200.htm

Sport - Athletics

Binu's next goal

Stan Rayan

KOCHI: For years, they had to battle with the Chinese dragon. This time, they had to handle the African giants too.

"The presence of African athletes in the Asian Games is a bit unfair," said Asian silver medallist K. M. Binu here on Wednesday evening. "Of course, the distance runners from Kenya and other African countries make the Asian Games a world-class affair, performance goes up, but winning gold medals is now very difficult."

Binu, the 800m silver medallist at the 2002 Busan Asiad, virtually gave up the two-lapper three years ago to concentrate on the 400m. And at the Doha Asian Games last week, he anchored India to a fine silver in the men's 4x400m relay.

"Thank God, I didn't run the 800m this time, I wouldn't have come close to a medal," said the Central Excise Inspector who celebrated his 26th birthday on Wednesday. That event was won by Bahrain's Kenya-born Yusuf Saad Kamel, the son of former two-time world champion Billy Konchellah.

Binu is now looking forward to his next Olympics, which come up in 2008 in Beijing. "The national camp will be starting in January and the athletics federation is planning to send us to Europe early next year, for camp and competition. I'm working on lowering my national record to 44.5 secs, I know I can do it."

If that happens, he will break the Asian record, owned by Oman's Mohammed Amer Al-Malky for the last 18 years ago.