How triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker learned to master the big stage

Athletics, on a global stage, is a lot about an athlete’s style on the starting block, body language, and the personality they project as much as it is about performing and delivering an entertainment package to the audience.

But for someone with a quiet demeanor, the environment can be intimidating. More so when sharing space with some of the sport’s biggest stars in the call room much before the competition even begins.

For triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker, his initial global tournaments were about getting acclimatised to the very intensity.

"Earlier, when I saw top international athletes, I would almost forget why I had come there," he told The Bridge. "But the exposure has helped me gain experience and over the last three years, I have learned how to handle myself in those situations."

"In India, we warm up and go directly to the competition area. But internationally, you have to spend time inside the call room first. Athletes are warming up, there are bag checks and other procedures, before you step out to the field.

"Sometimes there can be a gap of almost two hours between warm-up and competition, so energy management becomes very important," he added.

'Crossing 17m was a dream'

The 30-year-old crossed 17m mark five times in his career, three of them coming in 2022, including his silver medal-winning jump of 17.02m at the Commonwealth Games. This season he registered a jump of 16.83m in Bengaluru in March. The National Record in this event is held by Praveen Chithravel at 17.37m, set in 2023.

"Four years ago, crossing 17 metres was a dream for me," he said.

"Now, I know how to prepare every day, what to eat, how to recover and how to approach competitions mentally. Being around the best athletes has motivated me a lot," he added.

'Consistency is the key'

When Abdulla Aboobacker lines up at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Stadium for the Federation Cup later this week, he will be aiming to breach the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark.

Abdulla, a silver medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, has already surpassed the Asian Games qualifying mark of 16.28m, the qualification standard for the Commonwealth Games, 16.89m, has still eluded him.

He spent about a week at the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) Bellary for a week for testing and recovery. The focus for him in Ranchi will be on consistency.

"First, I need to perform well at the Federation Cup and then at the Inter-State Championships. The first step is to qualify and secure my place. After that, we can think about the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games," he said.

"The qualification standards are quite tough. In the Federation Cup, I will have to directly achieve the qualifying mark for the Commonwealth Games. At least six or seven athletes are capable of reaching those marks. So I will have to perform really well. Everything is ready now and I am completely fit," he added.

With constant pressure to perform and breach the 17m mark, Abdulla stressed on the importance of consistency.

“If you are consistently jumping above 16.80m, then 17.20m can happen anytime. But it also depends on the ground conditions, weather and body condition,” he stressed.

Abdulla had two good jumps last year, registering 17.19m and 16.99m, in the first half itself. But he was soon hit with niggles that disrupted his rhythm.

"Injuries are always difficult because they affect you mentally as much as physically. In jumping events especially, rhythm and ground contact are very important. If you are unable to jump regularly, it affects your timing and confidence," he said.

"Experience helps a lot because now I understand when I need rest and when I need more recovery. Physically, we are used to training for many years, so missing one day is manageable. But mentally, injuries can pull you down. That is why psychological preparation and staying mentally stable become very important during recovery," he concluded.