KOCHI: In the geometry of the long jump, progression is rarely linear. For Shahnavaz Khan, the trajectory curved sharply upward. This was never more evident than at the U-20 Federation Cup in Tumkur, Karnataka 11 days ago, where the 18-year-old soared to 8.23 million to overtake his rivals. Murali SrisankarIn 2018, a national youth record of 8.2 million was set. “Sreeshankar bhaiyya congratulated me after I jumped into Tumkur. He is my senior and someone I respect,” Shahnavaz told TOI.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!For Shahnawaz, the surge did not start with Tumkur. The signs were evident last year in Bhubaneswar, when the Uttar Pradesh native broke the 8m barrier for the first time on the continental circuit, landing 8.04m. Thereafter, Bhubaneswar assumed considerable significance for the youth of Pratapgarh.
“This is my lucky venue and I recorded two of my personal bests here. That’s where I crossed 8m for the first time. Now, I want to come back to Bhubaneswar and break the Tumkur record at the inter-state meet,” he explained.The journey from Tumkur was arduous. The inter-state championships in Bhubaneswar in June also serve as the final selection for the Asian Games to be held in Japan in September this year.If he qualifies, that will be followed by the Junior World Championships in Eugene, USA, in August, with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles becoming a distant but fixed target for the entire program. “My immediate goal is to qualify for the Asian Games and come back with a medal,” Shahnawaz said.Behind his rise is the coach Bhupinder SinghIts approach combines scientific temper and patience with a refusal to box athletes into a template.Their collaboration began in 2024 when Shahnavaz arrived with a raw and hungry attitude. The transformation thereafter was physical and psychological. “Today, he’s taller and more aware of his body,” Singer noted. “The biggest change was his thinking.”This clarity of thinking is being created at the SAI Center of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram, where training sessions are conducted with an almost surgical purpose. Perfect your sprinting techniques, strengthen your jump drills, and build explosive power with heavy lifts and endurance training. Singh believes his ward can now operate consistently within 8.20m, with 8.50m being the next boundary.However, no training matrix can fully capture what Singh calls junoon. Earlier this year, Singh told a story at a conference in Thiruvananthapuram.Shahnawaz had completed his allotted runs for the day, but the teenager was still struggling for one last burst of energy as the final jump didn’t feel right. This searing intensity is most vividly displayed in the heat of competition.On Shahnawaz’s record in Tumkur, Singh said: “Records are meant to be broken.” If the 18-year-old’s arc holds true, he intends to continue to prove it. “We are working hard to achieve Los Angeles 2028,” Singer added. “That’s the long-term goal.”For Shahnawaz, the horizon is getting closer: from the sand traps of Bhubaneswar to the medals waiting to be won in Japan. The geometric shape curves upward.
