CWG 2022: Racing against time, Tejaswin Shankar talks about ‘right timing’

Your correspondent, all of five-feet-11, mask on mouth, documents in hand, was hopping on either foot for the Delhi-Dubai-Birmingham check-in to move even one inch. It was well past midnight, yawns were being stifled, bored looks thrown all around, when suddenly he was dwarfed by a good six foot plus frame who ambled up right behind. In the sudden discomfort of having to raise the head and look up to someone, it was difficult to recognize the face behind the mask.

The India CWG jersey made one more curious. A cursory glance towards his bag showed an embossed ‘Kansas NCAA’. The brain did the small math and the right hand was extended for a handshake: “Tejaswin Shankar?” The answer in affirmative, mutual introductions followed.

What ensued then was a 14-hour long ‘brief encounter’ across departure lounges and over the skies, with discussions ranging from yoga to spirituality to politics. The major part obviously was on sports. Just a day earlier, our man was watching the opening ceremony in Birmingham on TV from his home in Delhi.

“I received my visa and tickets as late as Friday morning. I had almost given up hope, thinking I might have to watch the Games on the TV in my home,” said the 23-year-old Indian high jumper. The last-minute visa and rushed departure struck a mutual chord, because forget the visas, Tejaswin’s participation itself in the CWG wasn’t clear till just a week back.

For an entire month, he was in complete dilemma whether he would be able to participate or not: Going one moment, sat out the next. After the Athletics Federation of India denied him a spot in the team although he had achieved the set qualification mark, Tejaswin was given relief by a Delhi court and was included in the Indian team. But when