Fit-again Sable believes he is back to his best

A nasty fall at the Monaco Diamond League last year could not have come at a worse time for Avinash Sable.

Sable had entered the big ticket event in great form having won the 3,000m steeplechase gold at the Asian championships. He felt supremely fit, and was keen to record his personal best at Monaco.

A stumble on the water jump, however, thwarted the dream. Sable had to undergo a surgery to fix an ACL and meniscus injury, forcing a hiatus of over a year.

In a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India here, Sable stated that the 14-month layoff was marked by self-doubt and emotional turmoil.

There is also a story of redemption, as Sable — now fully fit — is set to return to action at the Indian Athletics Series Final to be held in New Delhi on Thursday.

This will act as the ideal tune-up for the Asian Games, which commences later this month.

Speaking about the ill-fated moment at Monaco, Sable said, “I initially did not think it was a serious injury. It was only after I came back to India did I realise that it was very bad. I had to miss the World championships. This last year has been very difficult for me.”

The long road to recovery began with light jogging a few months after his surgery. He stepped up the training intensity in April in an effort to enter the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, but pain in his shin forced him to withdraw.

Plenty of rehabilitation work later, the 31-year-old believes that he is now back to his best, and is confident can he can successfully defend his Asian Games gold medal.

“At one time, I thought that I will have to leave the sport. But now I have the opportunity to come back to the track. I want to give my best performance to my country, and to those who supported me in this journey,” Sable added.