Starting trouble for athletes at national meet in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: For every ideal solution, there always seems to be an Indian "jugaad" (quick fix)! This was on full view, and embarrassingly so, during the sprint races at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in the ongoing 63rd National Open Athletics Championships here.

The start line, especially for the 100m race, gave a glimpse of the substandard quality of the track at the stadium, which had volunteers providing assistance to sprinters by resisting the starting blocks from behind, with their hands on the ground and legs supporting an equipment meant to assist the runners in propulsion just before take off. 

Ask any athlete though, or anybody from the track and field community in the country, they tell you this is a common practice in most athletics events in India. 

“Yeah (laughs)... Well, it has always been like this. And nobody really cares about how it affects an athlete’s performance,” a former international athlete, who wished to remain anonymous, told DH. 

The need for a quick fix even when there is a starting block (a device meant to provide resistance for sprinters to push off and accelerate) is because of the synthetic track’s poor condition that doesn’t allow the equipment to be firmly fixed to the ground. 

Following a two-year wait, the worn-out synthetic track at the Sree Kanteerava stadium was replaced in early 2022 at a cost of Rs 5 crore. However, within a few months, the ‘brand new track’ began to tear apart in patches, making the track resemble Bengaluru's infamous pothole-ridden roads. 

Now, the start point of the 100m race is the most utilised area on the track as hundreds of athletes of all age groups train regularly to do ‘block practice’ that leads to holes. While the shoddy patch work done to cover up these holes is quite evident, the thickness of the track is another concern as the asphalt sub-base underneath appears prematurely due to thinning of the upper layer.

As a result, spikes at the front and rear side of the starting blocks don't penetrate properly, compromising on the right grip. This forces human intervention to stabilise the starting block. This, at a national event!

“This is the most used athletic track in the country where around 500 athletes from under 15 to 18 coaches train everyday. So the track is a bit worn out,” reasons A Rajavelu, one of the technical directors for the event and the secretary of the Karnataka Athletics Association. 

“So, the technical officials allow an athlete to take assistance if required during a sprint race. 

"The track used at international events is called a Mondotrack, which is used only for competitions. However, the one laid here is a practice track. Its life is about 6-8 years, but the weather has also made it softer over time. We do the patchwork ourselves as and when the holes appear,” admitted Rajavelu. 

On the first day of the event, there were a few re-starts in the 100m heats in both men’s and women’s categories due to a technical snag (read starting-block issues) before the participants were given human assistance. On Saturday, the men’s 100m final saw as many as six runners out of the eight finalists taking help of volunteers while the corresponding women’s final had five. 

Along with the potential for injuries, such a situation also instils a sense of doubt and fear in the mind, said a former international athlete.  

“It has happened to me twice. In such a situation, you always take your stance with doubt in your mind. What if I slip and fall or don't get a solid start because the blocks are unsteady? What if the person supporting it isn't doing it properly? This is not how you want your start to be. But I guess, this has become so normal that we have learnt to ‘adjust’ and compete knowing that we would all encounter such a situation in our careers,” rues the former sprinter.

The patch work done to cover-up holes at the Sree Kanteerava stadium.

What if I slip and fall or don't get a solid start because the blocks are unsteady? What if the person supporting it isn't doing it properly? This is not how you want your start to be. But I guess this has become so normal that we have learnt to ‘adjust’

A former international athlete