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NEW DELHI: K. Prem Kumar, 20, who hails from Tamil Nadu, created a new national record in the men’s long jump on Wednesday, with a leap of 8.09m in the on-going National inter-state athletics meet.
He set the record very late in the evening. Just as everyone started vacating the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, a loud cheer came from one corner of the track. A small section of the crowd gathered there was cheering the young athlete.
Prem broke the meet record of Sanjay Kumar Rai of West Bengal, who jumped 7.92m in 2001. He now joins an elite category of Indians to break the 8m barrier, after Amrit Pal Singh (8.08m), T.C. Yohanan (8.07m) and Sanjay Kumar Rai (8.03m).
According to The Hindu, Prem later said: “I don’t know how to express my feelings. I came here with an intention of clearing 8m, and I did it.
“This is my best ever after the 7.95m I did in the State meet in Madurai a few months ago.”
Earlier in the day, Prem struggled in his first five jumps. He began with a 7.58m, followed by jumps of 7.62m, 7.54m, 7.53m and 7.75m. He created history with his sixth and final jump.
