NEW DELHI: Indian long jumper Lokesh Sathyanathan achieved a major breakthrough by winning the men’s long jump gold at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The young athlete, who studies at Tarleton State University, secured victory with a jump of 8.21m, setting a new Indian indoor record. The effort also placed him third on India’s all-time long jump list behind Jeswin Aldrin and Murali Sreeshankar.Lokesh produced the winning dive on his fourth attempt in the final. He narrowly edged out De’Aundre Ward of the University of Southern Mississippi who jumped 8.20m while Tafadzwa Chikomba of Kansas State University finished third with 8.15m. This victory made Lokesh only the fourth Indian athlete after Mohinder Singh Gill, Vikas Gowda and Tejaswin Shankar to win this prestigious NCAA indoor title.After the win, Lokesh credited his faith, family and coach for the success. “I am thankful and grateful to God because I know that nothing is possible without Him and of course without my family back home (in Bengaluru) and my coach who is my family here,” he said, according to PTI.Reflecting on the competition, he explained how his winning jump came at the perfect moment. “I think 26’11” was the leading jump until the fourth (attempt) and then I got 26’11-1/2″, which is about 8.21m – which is also my personal best … so that’s it,” he said.The win also had a deep personal meaning for him. Lokesh dedicated the success to his mother, who died of COVID-19 in 2021. He added: “It must be a very special moment because I always dedicate everything to my mum up there… My mum would be proud; I know she’s proud up there.”He recalled her encouragement before he left to pursue athletics abroad, saying to “follow your dreams” and prove what he could achieve. Now, with a national title and a record jump, Lokesh believes even greater achievements lie ahead.
