Young Mumbai high hurdler and national record holder Siddhanth Thingalaya has set his sights on a podium finish at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia as well as the Asian Games in Indonesia.
Prior to these two multi-sport events, 6-foot-3-inch tall Thingalaya has the chance to run and prove his credentials in the 60 m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships scheduled in Birmingham, in March next year.
He claimed that he has already achieved the qualifying mark of 7.70 seconds.
“I am definitely sure about getting medals in the Commonwealth as well as the Asian Games after having seen the earlier winning times. I am slowly improving,” said Thingalaya, who would be 27 as he heads into the top three events of 2018.
Thingalaya ran in this year’s World Athletics Championships in London but couldn’t make a mark and blamed lack of sufficient preparation time as he hit many hurdles during his race.
“I am a 110m specialist, the first athlete to go for world championship this year as no one has done it in 110m (from India) earlier. I and my coach (American Gary Cablayan) have to rectify
a few mistakes – from start of the race to its end including between hurdles that happened in the World Championship for which I did not have enough time to prepare,” said the Mumbai hurdler, who is supported financially by his parents.
His father has retired and his mother, also a bank employee, is still in service, Thingalaya said.
“I have also done the qualifiers for the World Indoors scheduled in March and I am among the early qualifiers (7.70 secs). I have done the same done in Seattle and I will be competing again there in January, before the World Indoors and CWG,” said Thingalaya, who started training for indoors in California, constantly improving upon his timing.
“I am hoping to get my times even better. A podium finish in the World Indoors may be difficult, but I can make the finals,” said Thingalaya, who rued that it clashed with the Federation Cup meet in Patialia.
“I am not sure whether there is any qualifier just after the World Indoors. It’s an experience to run with world level athletes. I am focusing on it. It’s unfortunate it clashes with the Federation Cup. I need to concentrate on World Indoors for international exposure as they are the same who will show up in the Tokyo Olympics,” he said.
Thingalaya is not in the Government-supported TOPS and is hoping to get into it following his request to the Athletics Federation of India.
“I am not in TOPS. I have approached AFI, let’s see. They said they will consider my case. They have to put forward my case to TOPS at the next meeting.”
He said he was with the Bengaluru-based JSW for two years before being left out in 2014 and had approached Mumbai-based OGQ a month ago without tasting success.