Praveen is aiming for 17m in marquee events after winning Asian indoor silver.

The decision to compete in the event was made only 20 days before the tournament. The coach thought it would be beneficial for me to compete before the outdoor season. It was a good learning experience. Indoor venues lack wind assistance, which allows you to better train your acceleration, Praveen explained.
The 21-year-old is now focused on the outdoor season, which includes a number of high-profile events such as the Asian Championships, World Championships, and Asian Games. The Olympic qualification cycle, which will run from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, will also begin later this year, with the qualifying mark set at 17.22m.
Praveen, who has only one 17m-plus jump in his career (17.18m), will need to produce the second-longest jump ever by an Indian triple jumper to qualify for Paris. Abdulla Aboobacker’s 17.19m jump at the Indian Grand Prix in Bhubaneswar last May is the country’s second-best jump. Renjit Maheswary’s best is 17.30m in 2016.
I would certainly like to jump 17m more often and in big competitions. I had a few niggles since the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships, where I ran 17.18m, so I wasn’t on the circuit very often. But I’m ready to give it my all this year, said Praveen, whose last outdoor competition was in September at the National Games.
Then there’s the drive to break Maheswary’s national record. Of course, I’ll be aiming for that. It will be one of my main goals this year, and I will be extremely proud if I achieve such a leap at the World Championships or Asian Games.
Praveen has yet to qualify for the World Championships, and the window closes on July 30. The record is 17.20m.
It’ll be difficult, but I’m not planning too far ahead. I intend to take it event by event, but winning the Asian Games is definitely on my wish list. The indoor championships gave me a good idea of the level of competition I might face at Asian Championships or Asian Games, he said.
Over the last year, India has seen an increase in triple jump and long jump. While Jeswin Aldrin, Murali Sreeshankar, and Muhammed Anees Yahiya have kept each other on their toes in the long jump, Praveen has Eldhose Paul and Aboobacker to keep him company. Last year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games saw Paul and Aboobacker go 1-2, while Praveen finished fourth, three centimeters behind Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief.
It was an absolute dream run in Birmingham. I’ve heard that our performance there inspired a lot of young athletes, which is great for athletics.
The jump bench is also quite strong. There are a couple of promising triple jumpers on the rise who, I am sure, will be right on our tails very soon. The long jump is the same. I’m very close to Jeswin, and it’s encouraging to see his progress, Praveen said.
We’re a really close group. We watch movies and train together. We celebrate each other’s accomplishments and encourage one another to improve.
Betanzos, who has worked on his explosive power and ‘hop’ phase of the triple jump, is credited with the youngster’s success. The hop, the first of the three jumps, requires the jumper to land on the same foot from which he or she took off.
During this phase, it is critical to maintain good ground contact. A strong hop prepares you for a good skip,’ or the next jump in which the athlete lands on the opposite foot, and the final jump. To maximize your jumps, you need to have good strength and explosive power, he said.
The advantage with Betanzos is that he jumps and shows us the proper technique to use. We don’t speak the same language, but sport has its own language, said Praveen, who will compete in the National Open Jumps Competition, which begins on March 2 in Bellary.