Commonwealth Games tougher than Asian Games, says India's 400m runner Jay Kumar

The presence of athletes from Australia and England will make races more competitive, and that will be good preparation ahead of the Asian Games, say runners to SAI Media. India will field a 32-member track and field squad at the truncated 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, according to a press release from SAI.

Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi, who will be competing in the men's 400m and mixed 4x400m relay at the Commonwealth Games, said competition in Glasgow is going to be tough and it is like "an ocean out there".

"Commonwealth Games is hard; it's tough if we don't work hard. I will not say it is impossible; I will say it is possible (to win a medal) if we work out well. Nothing is easy, whether it is the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games, since these are big competitions. It is an ocean out there, and I need a chance to prove myself, so I will take it as an opportunity and then try to push hard there," Vishal told SAI Media before leaving for a government-sponsored international training camp in Spala, Poland.

The 22-year-old is part of a 60-member contingent, including 41 athletes and 19 coaches plus support staff, travelling to Poland.

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)-backed athlete created a national record of 44.98 seconds in 400m during the Federation Cup in Ranchi last month and clocked a personal best of 03:00.32 in 4x400m men's relay at the World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, this May.

His personal best in 4x400m mixed relay is 03:14.81, clocked at the World Relays in China last year. Vishal said that he will target a personal best in both his races at the Commonwealth Games.

A look at the statistics explains why the Commonwealth Games are more challenging than the Asian Games. In the 400m, Yousef Asrafi of Saudi Arabia emerged the winner in the 2023 Asian Games with a time of 45.55 seconds.

Muzala Samukonga of Zambia broke his country's national record en route to clinching 400m gold at the 2022 Birmingham CWG with a time of 44.66 seconds.

Jay Kumar, who competes in 400m, echoed Vishal's sentiments, saying that peaking at both CWG and the Asian Games is challenging as there is a short gap between the two events. The 20-year-old clocked his personal best of 45.47 seconds in the 400m during the Federation Cup last month.

"My target for this year is the Asian Games. So, the Inter-State and the Federation Cup were significant and I did well there. I am going for a 45-day training camp in Spala, Poland and will see how I fare after that. Earning a medal at both the CWG and Asian Games is a bit tough. If we see overall, CWG is tougher as the timings in 400m races go around 43-45 seconds, but in Asian Games it is above 45 seconds in recent years," Jay told SAI Media.

Dharmveer Choudhary, a 2025 Asian Championships silver medallist in the 4x400m men's relay, said that training under Jamaican coach Jason Dawson at SAI NCOE Thiruvananthapuram has helped him improve his timings. He also expressed his gratitude for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and SAI for their continued support.

"Last year when I went to the camp, I failed to post good timings. My best timing was 46.6 last year. I had to secure my place in the national squad for both CWG and Asian Games and also improve my timings. So, I would like to thank the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and my coach for keeping their faith in me, despite poor timings. My personal best now is 45.6, full one second better than last season. Hopefully I will make everyone proud this time at the Asian Games in Japan," said Dharmveer. (ANI)