IAAF World Indoor Championship | Siddhanth Thingalaya eliminated in 60m hurdles heats
India’s only hope in the IAAF World Indoor Championship, Siddhanth Thingalya in the 60m hurdles event, bowed out of the tournament as he finished sixth in the heats. The 27-year-old could manage to finish the race in 7.93 seconds, which was slower than his national record of 7.7 seconds.
Thingalaya’s brilliant national record had created a buzz surrounding him ahead of the Indoor Championship. However, the player failed to deliver big time, finishing sixth in the heats and in the 31st position out of 37 competitors.
Having been trained in California, Thingalaya also boasts of a national record for 110-metre hurdles with a timing of 13.48 seconds. Both his records came in America. While his 60-metre record came during the UW Preview meet, which was held in Seattle last year, the 110-metre record came at the Altis Invitational meet in 2017 itself. Â
Thingalaya had almost lost the chance to get it to Birmingham as he got his visa on the very last day of his travel and the uncertainty had even ruled out the chances of his coach going with him. The Maharashtra lad, who dreams of standing on the podium in Tokyo 2020, didn’t have it easy so far. He needs 15 lakhs to continue his current training regime and with the Maharashtra government giving him Rs 5 lakh under the Mission Olympic Scheme, he still has hopes.Â