Asian Games: Indian men's 4x400m relay quartet confident of gold after Worlds heroics

Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Amoj Jacob and Muhammed Anas Yahiya of India celebrate after placing second in a Men`s 4x400-meters relay heat during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Pic/AP, PTI

One of the runners in the men's 4x400m relay quartet that came close to shattering the USA's aura of invincibility at the World Athletics Championships recently, Amoj Jacob on Tuesday exuded confidence in clinching Asian Games gold and further aiming for an Olympic podium finish if it qualifies

The 4x400m relay team smashed the Asian record in a stunning race, clocking 2 minute 59.05 seconds in the heat to qualify for its maiden final round of the Worlds in Budapest last week.

The quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh finished second behind USA to make it to the final of the event before it finished fifth among six teams in the showdown. Jacob, the second runner in the quartet, said that after shattering the Asian record of 2:59.51, "barring unforseen circumstances, we will win the Hangzhou Asian Games gold, and will also aim for a podium finish at the Olympic next year (if we qualify)".

Amoj added that the experience at the World Championships was a "huge morale booster ahead of the Asian Games as we have finished fifth in the Worlds". "We will have less pressure in Hangzhou (Asian Games), and our effort will be to further improve the Asian record we set at the Worlds," said Jacob on the sidelines of a function to celebrate the National Sports Day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

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A controversy erupted after American Justin Robinson appeared to jostle with Rajesh on the back straight of the anchor leg. Many believe that had the incident not happened, India could have even beaten the USA in the heat.

"You do lose momentum (following such an incident). It's very difficult to catch up, no matter how hard you try," said Amoj, adding, "had it (the jostle) not happened, who knows we would have won the heat." Anas, a member of the gold-winning 4x400m mixed relay team at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, said, the fact that the players had been training together at Thiruvananthapuram since November last year had played a key role in the quartet's performance at the Worlds.

"We had been running poorly this last one year, clocking somewhere around 3 minutes, seven seconds. We had three athletes injured... Amoj, Rajesh and me also injured. But before the Worlds, all three of us were injury-free, which gave us the confidence to give it our best shot. It (Worlds) was an experience in itself," said Anas.

"I feel if we can handle the pressure in the Worlds, we are good to take that kind of pressure in the Olympics (if the team qualifies). We are eagerly awaiting the World Relays next year (in Nassau, May 4-5). If we do well there, we have a good chance of qualifying for the Olympics," he said. "I hope we four run at the Asian Games also, but the final decision is in the hands of the coach. The coach has expressed confidence in us, but let's see," added Anas.

(With PTI inputs)