Octogenarian former MLA's unbreakable trysts with sports

KOCHI: Ask former Piravom MLA and CPM veteran M J Jacob about the elixir required for success in life and his reply would have just one word — Determination.

If the food is moderate and the exercise is correct, the body will yield to anything. Age will pave the way for success. 83-year-old Jacob clarifies this mantra by testifying about his own life. After getting injured in a fall at Koothattukulam Kakkoor Kalavayal racing, MJ Jacob returned to sports only after decades but shocked all by winning every medal in a canter.

At the age of 83, Jacob has already envisioned his future goals; which is to win gold in the hurdles and long jump at the World Masters Athletics Meet in Sweden in August 2024. He still travels on the bullet bike that he bought in 1974.

A hurdles champion in university, Jacob broke his leg while training bulls for competition in Kakkoor. Albeit enduring the long agony of distancing away from the sports field, Jacob made a glorious reentry to tracks in 2006 as an MLA, inaugurating the Ernakulam Masters Meet.

Since then he participated in events conducted in France, Australia, Spain and Finland for the World Masters and Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China and the Philippines for the Asian Masters. The most recent achievement was winning gold in the 2000m steeplechase and 80m hurdles and getting silver in the long jump and triple jump event held in the Philippines this month.

A member of the Vaidya family, M.J. Jacob, wanted either to be a sportsman, a government official or a politician. In 1961, while studying at Aluva UC College, he was the university champion in hurdles. in his 15-year tenure at the helm of affairs, Thirumarady was voted as the best panchayat twice. During 2006-2011, Jacob served as the MLA from Piravom.