Learning curve for both athletes and officials at inaugural National Indoor Championships

Young shot putter Omkar Prasad Nanda resorted to using a worn-out shoe, while runner C Priyanka relied on her experience of training on a curvy track, as athletes and officials adjusted to an unfamiliar setting at the inaugural National Indoor Championships, which began on Tuesday.

Nanda was among the fortunate few who had been training at the state-of-the-art indoor stadium hosting the championships, as he resides at the residential hostel attached to the facility.

He has been training here for the last 10-14 days but is still mindful of the possibility of slipping on the throwing circle made of wood.

“The throwing circle in outdoor events is made of cement and so there is grip with your shoe and you have more confidence. But in indoor events, the throwing circle is made of wood and is a little bit slippery. So, you have to be careful that you don’t slip and get injured,” said Nanda, who won gold in the U-20 section with a throw of 17.77m. “It can be slippery when you start rotating. If everything is OK at the start of rotation, I get a good ascent and distance.

“Luckily, I did not slip today, maybe because I have gotten used to it as I’ve been training here for the last 10 to 14 days,” said the Odisha athlete who made his debut indoor competition.

“I also wore an old shoe which I have been using for around two and a half years so that the sole is a little worn out and thus has grip. A new shoe may be more slippery,” added Nanda, whose father works in the police department. On the difference between indoor and outdoor events, he said, “Competition environment is the same. But as a thrower, we get wind support outdoors and not in indoors.” Nanda has an outdoor personal best of 18.23m. “It is the same technique, no different approach for indoor events while training but the platform is different.” For senior women’s 3000m run gold winner Priyanka, past training experience on 200m tracks, though outdoor, helped. “The track here was a very nice experience, I did not get any tightness. Since we normally run in 400m track, the 200m track was a little more curvy. For that we have to adjust,” said the Karnataka athlete who emerged winner with a time of 9 minutes 42.05 seconds.

“I had trained at 200m track at the SAI Bengaluru and there is one more 200m track at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. When I was a junior, I used to train there, it helped me. “Middle- and long-distance run is about patience, tactics and 120-150m acceleration. For middle and long distance, we don’t use lane number 5 and 6 as these have slops. Usually, we use lane number 1, obviously.”

Learning curve for officials also: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has a vast experience of organising national and international events, but it was also a learning experience for the officials while organising the National Indoor Championships.

“I will not say that it is a very challenging but a learning experience for us also as it is the first indoor event in the country.

The rules and regulations are the same, the logistics are almost the same.  “The only difference is the 200m track, which are slopped and more curvy than the outdoors 400m track,” said AFI treasurer and technical committee member Stanley Jones. “In indoors, there is not impact from winds, temperature and weather variations, it’s a more controlled and consistent environment. Moreover, there will be no impact of rain in indoors and that is a plus point as compared to outdoors. “On the other hand, indoor events are held one after the other and there is not much gap between the two sessions in a day. Since it is a much smaller space, you can’t hold too many events together.

In outdoors, you can hold jump or throw events together but not in indoors. There is no space.”

Interesting case of shot put measurement: In outdoor events, there is a clear mark on the sand or soil where the iron ball lands and measurements are made accordingly for the shot put competition.

But indoor competitions use landing mats made of sponge or foam for floor protection and safety. The shot thus will not make a clear mark on the mat and sometimes, it may be difficult for officials to determine the exact first point of contact.

After the competitor tosses the shot, one official who stands near the sets of landing mat and netting system will keep a close eye on where the iron ball lands.

“There will be a depression on the mat when the shot lands and it will last for a few seconds. Based on that, one measuring official will spot the point from where the measurement will have to be made,” said Jones.

There will also be some moisture over the landing mats because of the controlled temperature inside the indoor arena and that will help in keeping the depression for a little longer time.

“Sometimes, athletes used white powders before throw (to have the grip of the shot) and when the shot lands, there will be clear marks.”

The National Indoor Championships is using shot put landing mats of Malaysia-based company AFN Sports. This company provides portable throwing circles made of wood in six pieces and netting systems.