Eyeing for gold – Pamang Buobon

Photo: Anand Chaini
B D Narayankar

bapun@sakalherald.com

PUNE: Peers say no one wins if they don’t have self-belief. Thailand’s Pamang Buobon, however, made mockery of the age-old adage by pulling off an upset win against Chinese Ma Ning in the finals of Javelin Throw in Doha Asian Games last year. She had thrown the equipment to a distance of 61.31 meters securing a place in the World Athletics Meet in Japan next month.

Such an achievement could have forced any other athlete to take things easy, but Pamang, a thorough professional as she is, has vowed to create ripples at Baburao Sanas Ground on June 27.

Speaking to Maharashtra Herald here on Monday just before leaving her hotel room for a practice session, Pamang said she was optimistic of putting up a good show at the meet. “My personal best of throwing javelin to a distance of 61.31 meters against high-ranked Chinese throwers gave me immense confidence. I also had a good outing in the second leg of Asian Grand Prix at Guwahati. I am eyeing to strike gold here and work hard to improve my personal best 61.31-meters throw,” she said.

Did 61.31 meters surprise you or were you expecting even better? “It not only surprised my coach Polish Major General Supanat, but also myself. I had thrown the javelin at 58.42-meters distance at Bangkok, but I did not expect to better the record. When I threw 61.31 meters, I could not believe it. It, however, sunk down gradually,” Pamang said.

Carving a niche for oneself in the annals of any sport is a herculean task. Ask Pamang about it. She says: “It is all about fitness. A decade ago, players bettered their skills throwing the javelin during a training session. Everything now has changed. There is too much focus on aerobic, cardiology and flexibility, leaving 20 per cent of javelin-specific training. Throwing over 60-meters distance is stressful on the body.” As it is Pamang takes care to stay fit and avoid getting injured. “If I am suffering from one, I try modifying my training schedules. I listen to my body and accordingly train without aggravating my injuries,” she said.

The most frustrating thing for her are the delays in meet and rescheduling competitions times. “It is really hard to warm up and get ready to compete when the time can move forward or back,” Pamang said.