<p>Tejaswin Shankar is a gregarious, clever, and sometimes humorous decathlete who became known as the best in the nation after setting a national record and winning a silver medal at the Asian Games.</p>
<p>Tejaswin, a Delhi native who has only been practicing the demanding discipline for a year, set a national record on Tuesday by winning silver in the 10-event tournament with 7666 points.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-217828″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-vande-bharat-ashwini-vaishnaw-the-railway-minister-publishes-photos-of-sleeper-coa.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com vande bharat ashwini vaishnaw the railway minister publishes photos of sleeper coa” width=”965″ height=”723″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-vande-bharat-ashwini-vaishnaw-the-railway-minister-publishes-photos-of-sleeper-coa.jpg 259w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-vande-bharat-ashwini-vaishnaw-the-railway-minister-publishes-photos-of-sleeper-coa-150×112.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 965px) 100vw, 965px” title=”Tejaswin Shankar says he can boast about winning the national record in the decathlon at the Asian Games 6″></p>
<p>Since 1974, India hadn’t won a decathlon medal. The previous national record in the decathlon belonged to Bharatinder Singh (7,658 points) in 2011, while Vijay Singh Chauhan was the last Indian to earn a medal at the Asian Games in 1974.</p>
<p>Tejaswin, 24, started his athletic career in the high jump, where he still holds the national record (2.29m). In the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he took home a medal in the high jump.</p>
<p>He began participating in mixed events while attending Kansas State University in the US as a result of a bet with a fellow student and member of his collegiate team. His college coach also pushed him to try out other sports outside high jump.</p>
<p>Tejaswin was thrilled to have won his first medal at the Asian Games in an event that he had only previously participated in four occasions.</p>
<p>I’m pleased with my score, but every day is different. Tejaswin added amid roars of amusement, “But I won’t at least expect you to ask me when I will hit 8000 aggregate points, it is good if such (type of question) stays to Neeraj Chopra (on when will he reach 90m) solely.</p>
<p>He was alluding to the ongoing concerns over when Olympic champion Chopra might surpass the 90-meter barrier that have been voiced over the last several years.</p>
<p>“I have been throwing just above 50m in the javelin — one of his weak events — in my last three events (46.84m, 52.32, and 52.70 before his 51.17m on Tuesday),” Tejaswin added with a chuckle, underscoring the distance between him and the current javelin world champion.</p>
<p>Tejaswin competed in his first decathlon in the Big 12 Conference Championships in Lubbock, Texas, in May of last year, earning 7592 points. He scored 7648 total points in the Jim Click Shootout competition in Arizona, USA, in April of this year.</p>
<p>Prior to his silver medal at the Asian Games, he placed third in the Asian Championships in July after finishing first at the National Inter-State Championships in June with 7576 points.</p>
<p>“Considering my body, I was anticipating a little bit more, but I’m still happy. After the third of the 10 events, the shot put, I was having trouble because of a cramp. After that, regulating myself and making sure I completed the decathlon and received a medal was more important than fretting about my final score. I’m still pleased that I set a national record, however,” Tejaswin remarked.</p>
<p>“I was experiencing severe cramps all throughout my body, and I didn’t want to make them worse by continuing to compete in the decathlon. It can be a case of being so close but so far away. I have to do every activity. I have to make these choices on the spot. You must implement such adjustments.</p>
<p>The Delhi youngster has previously discussed the lack of awareness and enthusiasm in the decathlon in the nation, often acting as an ambassador for the sport.</p>
<p>“I should at least hold the national record if I’m going to boast about this and that (in the decathlon). I will be completely satisfied if it is accomplished. All of these discussions (regarding the decathlon) are useless without the national record. Now I can do all of them,” he remarked amid more laughs.</p>
<p>“A medal is only the outcome. Wearing the jersey and representing your nation gives you the most significant emotion.</p>
<p>What could be better than two days of television broadcasting? I can’t imagine being happier than that since it is the dream I have had since I was a youngster.</p>
<p>Tejaswin said, “I already have a medal in decathlon, so I want to go back to high jump, make myself a little bit thinner, and concentrate for the Paris Olympics. When asked whether he would be a full-time decathlete going forward.</p>
<p>“I began with high jump, and if I receive the Olympic seal, I will be satisfied, and then I can shift to decathlon full-time.”</p>
<p>He said, “Something, some crisis will always happen during the 10 events,” in reference to the necessity to maintain mental fortitude during a physically taxing event like the decathlon. You can’t give each of the 10 events your best effort. There are a lot of factors, like the weather and cramping.</p>
<p>“The difficulty is skillfully managing all of these factors in addition to participating in the event. Decathlon is essentially a mental game, thus completing it correctly is highly fulfilling.</p>
Tejaswin Shankar says he can boast about winning the national record in the decathlon at the Asian Games
