J.J. Shobha

VIJYAWADA: Olympian J. J. Shobha, back from the injury, is aiming to perform well in the forthcoming Asian Track and Field Meet and World Championship in 2007. She is likely to skip the National Games at Guwahati from February 9 to join the national camp at Patiala to train under the watchful eyes of coach Sanjay Garnaik. Speaking to The Hindu here on Tuesday, the gritty Hubli-born heptathlete, who was in the city to take part in the South Central Railway inter-divisional railway meet, said though she performed below par at the Doha Asian Games, she was confident of performing well in the Beijing Olympics in 2008: "I won a bronze at Doha, which was my first major international meet after the knee operation that I underwent in 2005," she said.

The image of Shobha lying on the track at the Athens Olympics (2004) after finishing the 800 metre race despite strapped knee caused by a ligament injury are still fresh in the minds of sports lovers. " I never wanted to give up in the middle. I wanted to finish the race," said a smiling Shobha, recalling the event.

Second home

Shobha has already made Andhra Pradesh her second home after her recruitment in South Central Railway in 1997, and since then she has been a part of the State contingent.

She represents India in heptathlon, an event where an athlete will take part in seven events (100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m run, long jump, javelin throw and 800m race) and the winner is decided on the basis of cumulative points. "This is a gruelling event, where an athlete needs loads of stamina.

The fitness level should also be optimum," she said.

Shobha has described West Bengal's Sushmitha Singha Roy as a bright prospect in heptathlon for India in the future. Shobha felt that she need to hone her high jump skills as she was presently clearing a height of 160 metres.

"Diet and rest are most important for any athlete to perform well in the international circuit. Along with fitness and technical regimes, one should take care of one's diet and sufficient rest to recover from nagging injuries,'' she suggested.

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