Teenaged long jumper Shaili Singh juggling between study and training, targets Asian Games gold

Asian Games gold has been tough for promising long jumper Shaili Singh but her belief in the mantra "impossible is nothing" is pushing her on. The 18-year-old, who came to limelight after winning a silver in the World U-20 Championships last year, is dividing her day's time in attending Class X online classes and training at Sports Authority of India Center in Bengaluru. More than that, she fought COVID-19 infection in January during the third wave that swept the country.

She has recovered completely from the infection and has started training since the last week of January. "It's tough, no doubt. I start my training early in the morning and then after lunch, I have to attend online classes for 2-3 hours.

After that, I have to rush for evening session training," Shaili told PTI in an interview. "In January, I contracted COVID-19 and had some breathing difficulties but recovered in little over a week's time. I am fully fit now and have started training but yet to start jump training." A Class X student at St.

Patrick School in Bengaluru, Shaili missed classes and board examination last year as she was training for the junior World Championships where she jumped a wind-assisted 6.59m to finish second. "My coach (Bobby George) told me study is also important. So, I'm going to take (board) examinations in March.

I can't miss online classes, I have to pass exams," said the protege of long jump legend Anju Bobby George. Shaili was raised by her mother with great difficulty at a village in Jhansi district in Uttar Pradesh. Her mother Vinitha used to work as a tailor to feed her three children.