Injured Arokia helps men clinch 4x400m Paris berth

Chennai: When Tamil Nadu runner Arokia Rajiv suffered a hamstring injury during India’s relay training camp in Bahamas last month, his third Olympics dream started drifting away.
The 32-year-old wasn’t even part of the first 4x400m men’s team in the heat that took place during the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, the Bahamas, on Saturday. But as luck would have it, the Indian men’s team was dealt a blow when Rajesh Ramesh got injured in the heats and the team could not complete the race.It all boiled down to the final day and Arokia was called up as a replacement for Rajesh as India hoped to clinch a quota berth for the Paris Games.
And on Sunday, the Trichy man — who was not completely fit — ran his heart out and helped the team comprising of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Muhammed Ajmal, Arokia himself and Amoj Jacob book a ticket to Paris with a timing of 3:03.23. The women’s team also clinched a berth clocking 3:29.35.
“It was a major blow for the team when Rajesh got injured. We were expecting to win a medal but since we did not finish the race, we couldn't qualify for the medal race.In the second qualifying round, I held my nerve and ran the third leg with an injury. Despite that, I managed to pass the baton to anchor-leg runner Amoj Jacob in the third spot. He then overtook the Mexican opponent to finish second,” Arokia told TOI on Monday.
Talking about the injury that had almost dashed his Olympics dream and how he dealt with it, Arokia said: “Initially, I was fit but after a few days, during the speed workout training, I suffered the hamstring injury that kept me out of training for few days. But I didn’t give up.” On Sunday, when it was clear that Rajesh won’t be able to run, Arokia, being the most experienced athlete in the team, decided to step up. “I took the responsibility to run the race in Rajesh’s absence. My only aim was to maintain pace and not let go of the position. Had I faltered in the middle, our hopes of qualifying would have been dashed. I tried to play it safe and passed on the baton to the much fitter Jacob. I had the belief in him and he finished the race in style,” Arokia said.
The runner was not part of the India camp last year and participated in only a few races in 2023.“In 2023, I hardly competed as I wanted to spend time with my family. After that, with the Olympics fast approaching, I started full-fledged training in August to get ready for the new season.” The veteran performed decently in the recently-concluded National Open 400m Championships and the Relay Carnival. That helped him get selected for the relay squad.