Manikanta Hoblidhar made a fine comeback from injury, winning the men’s 100m final in 10.25 seconds at the National Open Athletics Championships at the JLN Stadium here on Friday.
We could have done far better at the Asian Games, but at least we won a bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay,” said Manikanta. “It was a very tough period. “I competed at the state meet in September, and this is my first major domestic meet after the injury. I was a bit fearful. “I missed the Asian Games. I love competitions and never think about medals. So, it was very difficult to stay out and watch others compete.
The hamstring injury (grade 2 tear) put me out of action at a time when I was giving my best. I am still not 100% fit, and it will take some time to get back to my best. Because of my injury everything just collapsed, as a team, we were doing so well, but.
Still, this result is fantastic to start with,” he said. But this is a good comeback for me, and it has given me hope for next season,” said the versatile athlete from West Bengal’s Hooghly district, who also competes in the long jump.
Manikanta started the trend in 2023, clocking 10.23 seconds, before improving his mark to 10.19 seconds at the National Open meet last year. The Karnataka sprinter was a key member of the Indian sprint team that brought the showpiece 100m into focus with a series of national record-breaking performances over the past few seasons.
