Odisha’s reigning Open National 200 metre champion Amiya Kumar Mallick is aiming to win a medal each in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July-August) and Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea (September-October). He believes a four-month-long advance training stint at the Racers Track Club (RTC) in Kingston, Jamaica, under the guidance of Glen Mills, the coach of double Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt, will help him achieve his goal.
``I am excited to train under Mills, who played a major role in Jamaica`s rise as a sprinting superpower. I hope to learn a lot from him and improve my standard,`` said the ace sprinter at a media conference here today. Mallick, 21, who won the men`s 200m gold with a career best timing of 21.22 seconds in the Open National last September at Ranchi, is set to leave for Jamaica, via New York, on January 12.
``My immediate goal is podium finish in the Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year. I also gunning to break the 200m National record of 20.73 seconds that stands in the name of Anil Kumar since 2000,`` said the young sprinter, who is currently ranked India No 1 and Asia No 7 in his pet event.
Amiya hopes a dream meeting with Bolt during his training stint at RTC. ``Friends say I have some similarity with Bolt. He started off as 200 metre sprinter and then switched over to 100 metre. I too plan to switch over to 100m dash in the future. Like Bolt, I also underwent a surgery to revive my athletics career,`` he revealed. ``If meet Bolt I would like to know the secret of handling pressure from him,`` added Amiya, an MBA student of KIIT University.
Amiya believes the opportunity to train with quality athletes at RTC will improve standard and increase his hunger for success. He also hopes to get an opportunity to compete in Jamaican domestic competitions and avail scholarship by performing well there.
Speaking about the difference between training method in India and abroad, Amiya said: ``Foreign method is more scientific and compartmentalised. Besides the coach, a professional support team, comprising physio, trainer and masseur works for an athlete. But in India the coach does everything.``
Amiya`s coach-cum-mentor Nila Madhab Deo believes training with international athletes will help his ward judge his real standard. ``Sometimes, Amiya feels overconfident as he trains with inferior athletes. But by working with elite athletes at RTC, he will know his actual standard,`` said Deo, who Amiya when he was a Standard VII student DAV School.
Deo is also of the opinion that Amiya is talented athlete and needs quality training, not quantity training. ``In India, athletes are made to slug for hours without desired results. I hope the scientific training at RTC will help Amiya gain optimum benefit with minimum effort. It will also broaden his vision and boost his confidence,`` observed the coach.
Amiya expressed his gratitude to the sponsors for facilitating his training stint in Jamaica. ``I am thankful to State Sports and Youth Services Department, Odisha Olympic Association, Tata Steel, KIIT, Odisha Mining Corporation and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited for their financial and moral support,” he signed off.
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PHOTO: Amiya Mallick with his coach N M Deo in Bhubaneswar on January 8, 2013.