Mohammad Ashfaq in 400m finals! Thrissur native eyes glory at World Athletics Championships

OREGON: India is waiting to see if Thrissur native Mohammad Ashfaq can become the first Malayali to win a medal at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships. Ashfaq is set to compete in the men's 400m final today at the championships being held in Oregon, USA. The match will be held at 9.23 am Indian time. Ashfaq's match can be watched live on World Athletics' YouTube channel.

Ashfaq, a talented athlete who competed for the Indian senior team and won an Asian medal at a junior age, put up a phenomenal performance in the first round of his first World Championship. Ashfaq broke the national record of 46.05 seconds he had set at the National Junior (Under-20) Athletics Meet held in Karnataka last April on the track in Oregon. He was selected for the final after finishing in 46 seconds in the semi-finals.

Ashfaq's time is the eighth best among the nine athletes competing in the final. Ashfaq, the son of Ashraf and Jasina, natives of Perinjanam, Thrissur, is trying to improve his performance at the World Championships beyond his medal hopes.

Behind Ashfaq's amazing performance on the track is the skill and experience of his coach, K.S. Ajimon. Ajimon, who had excelled as a coach at the Army Sports Institute, the Indian Junior Team and the Sports Centre in Gujarat, met Ashfaq when he joined G.V. Raja School in Thiruvananthapuram as a coach. It was under Ajimon's training that Ashfaq won his first medal for India, broke records and qualified for the World Championships. Ashfaq, who completed his Plus Two from G.V. Raja School, is currently training at the SAI Centre of Excellence in Karyavattom.