Shaili Singh has put Asian Games controversy behind her and is targeting a stronger comeback

Long jumper Shaili Singh is looking to put her fourth-place finish at the Asian Games behind her and focus on her next competition. The 22-year-old admitted it took her a few days to come to terms with the disappointment, but she doesn’t want the incident to affect her preparations for the future.

Shaili finished fourth in the women’s long jump at the Aichi-Nagoya Games with an effort of 6.42m. The Indian camp disputed the measurement of her fourth attempt, which was officially recorded at 6.41m, claiming that the officials had under-measured the jump.

Her protest during the competition was rejected and The Athletics Federation of India later approached the Court of Arbitration for the disputet (CAS). The case is still ongoing, but Shaili said she has to accept what happened and look forward.

“What happened was new to me, so I didn’t understand it then. Even after that, it took me many days to get over it. It was so many years of hard work. If I keep thinking about it, it’s useless. So I have to get over it,” she told PTI.

“We raised an objection there as well and the case is still ongoing. So whatever happens, I accept it,” she added.

Shaili said that she has to prepare for the competitions ahead rather than always thinking about the result of the Asian Games.

“I have to prepare for the upcoming competition as well. So I have to let go of old things and I have to accept things,” she said.

SHAILI TRYING HIS HAND AT THE TRIPLE JUMP

At the 65th National Open Athletics Championships, Shaili competed in the triple jump and won bronze with a performance of 13.31m. She said she wanted to test herself in the next event after trying it during practice, but the long jump remains her main focus.

“I just wanted to try the triple jump in competition. I tried it in training, so I wanted to try a new event in competition. Long jump will be my main event,” she said.

“That (triple jump) will only be secondary. But I will train more for it,” she added.

The season also brought some relief after two to three years of struggling with an ankle injury. The problem affected her consistency in the long jump, but Shaili said she has made progress in her recovery and hopes to do better in the years to come.

“She’s been very consistent in the long jump this year. I’ve had an ankle injury the last two to three years, so I’ve been struggling with that a lot. But I’ve recovered a lot this year and I’m coming back. I think I’ll be a lot better next year and the years to come,” she said.

She stopped short of saying that she’s completely fit, although she feels like she’s come a long way since dealing with the injury.

“I can’t say I’m fully fit, but I’ve recovered from my injury. So I’m very fit in that sense,” she said.

SHAILI’S GOAL REMAINS 6.80 MILS

Shaili continues to aim for a jump of 6.80m. She admitted that achieving this mark is taking longer than she would like, but remains confident that she will be able to achieve it in time.

“The goal is always there. It will happen, but it takes time. Whatever it is, it’s good. Trusting the process. I’m taking it slow, so it will be good in the future,” she said.

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