Tejaswin Shankar is bracing up for a year of transition — both on and off the field.
This summer he will shift his base back to India from the United States, where he spent six long years completing his studies from Kansas State University. He is currently working as an auditor at Deloitte there.
The 24-year-old Delhi athlete had moved to the US as a promising teenage high jumper. He will return as an elite international athlete – a Commonwealth Games medallist, two-time NCAA champion, a national record holder in high jump (2.29m), and now excelling in a gruelling discipline like the decathlon. In fact, Shankar fell short of the national record in the decathlon by just 10 points – he scored 7648 points — recently at a meet in Arizona. It is quite a successful transition.
But it is the change in his personality beyond the boundaries of sport that made him feel he would find adapting in India to be a challenge. The fact is he is not an average Indian elite sportsperson obsessed with winning a medal for the country in the Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Games. That is not to say that Shankar does not nurse the dream of the Olympics – 2024 Paris Games is on his mind. It is just that he is tuned differently. What Shankar is on a constant lookout for are opportunities — a job, or trying out a new thing. It makes him feel more productive and complements his sporting journey.
“I plan to come back to India this summer so that will be a change of base, my VISA expires here and I don’t want to overstay my welcome,” Shankar laughs. “Bas man bhar gaya hai; I want to come back home. Hopefully I can do something where I am juggling multiple things. That is important for my mental health. I feel I am more productive that way.”
On the field, he has his plans charted out for the season. He wants to qualify for the Asian Championships and Asian Games in the decathlon and would target the high jump for the world championships. At home, he will compete at the Federation Cup in Bhubaneshwar from June 12-15 and the National Inter-State Championships in Ranchi from July 26-30 in the decathlon.
“I want to make the transition to decathlon while remaining competitive in the high jump. So, I will stick to my pet event, especially when I am competing at the world level. I have competed in one or two ranking meets in high jumps so my goal is to get another three meets and improve my world rankings. I think I have better chances of making it to the world championships this year or the Paris Olympics in the high jump.
“At the Asian level, I feel I really have a good shot in decathlon – my coach also feels the same. Eventually, I do see myself, maybe moving into decathlon and being more competitive.”
Shankar will base himself at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Bellary. “It has a good facility. They have supported me through this journey in the US. My plan is to get the programme from my coach (Cliff Rovelto) and I might take someone’s guidance. These are things I need to iron out.”
And what about having a full-time job back in India, “In the US you have the work-life flexibility. In India, can you imagine working 9 to 5 and going to training? Maybe it’s the weather. I have spent 5-6 years in the US and it will be a different environment. But I think it’s best for me if I do multiple things — like a decathlon in real life.”
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