No jump too long, no bar too high, decathlon star Jashbir Nayak takes first step towards 'World's Greatest Athlete' dream

Who is the ‘World’s Greatest Athlete’? That’s a question that 22-year-old recent inter-state silver medalist Jashbir Nayak and his fellow decathletes look to answer every four years.

Coined at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics when Gustav V of Sweden addressed the decathlon gold medalist Jim Thorpe in as many words, the phrase has since become synonymous with the discipline.

And there’s merit in the argument. Spread across days, the decathlon and heptathlon (for women) competition has athletes compete over 10 and 7 grueling track-and-field disciplines for one medal.

As for Jashbir Nayak, a dynamic youngster from Kalahandi, Odisha, his tryst with the multi-discipline event came at the end of a long-winding road.

The youngster used to play volleyball in school, but after prodding from his father to find an individual sport, took up long jump. He began to compete at inter-district meets before making the cut for state championships in 2022.

There, Jashbir was spotted by Siba Prasad Mishra, who called him to Bhubaneshwar to train. An association with the Reliance Foundation foundation followed.

With the likes of Murali Sreeshankar and Jeswin Aldrin already crowding the competitive long jump space, coach Martin Owens suggested that Jashbir switch to decathlon. There began the stint with coach Sanjay Garnaik, who now oversees the youngster’s development.

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Decathlon a big chance for young Jashbir Nayak

Jashbir Nayak had begun his career as a long-jumper (Image: Reliance Foundation).

The change was drastic and it took Jashbir Nayak some time to get a grasp of things.

Playing ten events on back-to-back days and practicing for each one, he had never pushed his body like this before or so he tells Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat after winning a silver on his senior debut at the 63rd inter-state national athletics meet in Panchkula.

From focusing on just his stride, take-off, and landing, he was now sprinting, throwing, and running long distances. It was but natural that some injuries followed.

“It was difficult to manage everything in the beginning and I sustained many injuries, ankle, hamstring…,” Jashbir Nayak said. “We had to be really careful during the practice session since the body was always confused.”

“Earlier I used to only jump, but now there’s sprint, throws so we have to take care of all body parts. My take-off leg is left so the right side got weaker and I sustained the hamstring on that side. Similarly, I used my right hand for throws, so the other side is weaker. I had to work very hard to strike the balance," he added.

The support system, however, is solid. He trains at the Reliance Foundation’s Odisha center, where he has put in hours on the track, in the gym, and with diet specialists to get to this point.

After his body felt ready, came the bigger-looking mental challenges. Going back to the toll that a drawn-out decathlon can take on an athlete, the demands are huge and return is often delayed.

Jashbir learned that the hard way. Setbacks came his way as he would often lose heart after faring poorly in one event, which would in turn impact him during the rest of the tournament. He turned to mental coaching and the results have already begun to show.

The youngster won his first big medal, a silver, at the U-23 nationals in October 2023 only to back it with the same performance at the senior level in Panchkula last week.

“Earlier if I did poorly in one event, that used to weigh heavily on my mind and my performance in other events was also affected. I then began working with a mental coach and she helped me greatly." he said.

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What next for Jashbir Nayak?

Jashbir Nayak at the inter-state meet in Panchkula. (Image: Reliance Foundation).

Decathlon is not a sport that’s big in India. Asian Games silver medalist Tejaswin Shankar is one name that comes to mind from the recent crop, but there’s a long way to go. To put things into perspective, even Shankar's national record of 7,666 points is far short of the Paris Olympics cut-off of 8,460.

Jashbir Nayak, for one, is ready to put in the work. From a young age, discipline was instilled into the youngster by his armyman father. The 22-year-old’s mother had doubts about the viability of a career in sports, but her son’s recent results have won her over as well.

“My father was in the army so he always pushed me to do better, but my mother was slightly sceptical about whether there is a future in the field or now,” Jashbir Nayak said. “After my recent performances, she has also come around.”

The youngster, who also still follows volleyball, is quick to acknowledge the active role of the Odisha government in building a conducive environment for athletes to thrive in.

“The Odisha government is very supportive and promotes sports," Jashbir Nayak said. “The infrastructure is great and we even have indoor stadiums now and these are all things that go a long way in helping athletes.”

A loving family, a supportive system, and youthful exuberance are luxuries not many Indian athletes can afford. Many battle for ages to get their hands on just one only to lose out on the other.

But with all three on his side, along with his undeniable talent, Jashbir might as well be the one to push India forward in the race to find the 'World’s Greatest Athlete'.