The Racers Track Club in Kingston, Jamaica, has in its alumni some of the world’s fastest men and women over 100-, 200- and 400-metre distances over two decades. Usain Bolt hails from Jamaica; as does Yohan Blake.
The club is a first-stop for Caribbean sprinters exiting the Jamaican nursery of athletic talent and attempting to get to the next level - Olympics.
Jermaine Shand is on the coaching roster of the club. His presence in Pune is perceived both, as a testament to India’s growing athletic talent pool; as well as Indian athletes now accessing the kind of training needed to elevate “potential” into “Olympic gold”.
Shand has shunned the media spotlight, preferring to let his visit to various athletic events in Maharashtra - state under-18s in Ratnagiri; state under-20s at Balewadi; and ZP school meets - be a proper scouting exercise.
Shand is here in Pune because young Indian athletes reached out to the Racers Track Club. What has he seen here? Oumar Aga meets him at the starting line.
Who have you personally trained in the Caribbean?
{{/usCountry}}Who have you personally trained in the Caribbean?
{{/usCountry}}I have worked with and coached Kerron Stewart (Olympic bronze, 100m) for two years. She won a gold in 4x100m relay in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in 2014. I have also coached Schillonie Calvert who has won several medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m. I have also coached Remaldo Rose who graduated from my school, but unfortunately an injury got the better of him. He has a silver medal to his name which he won in the 4x100 relay in the Commonwealth Games 2010, in Delhi. I have also got a chance to assist several other top-class athletes whose names I cannot mention, because of the structure and system they have around them, but you can find those names under the Racers Track Club banner.
Why Pune? India’s top sprinters, especially the women - Hima Das and Dutee Chand- do not hail from here?
A few athletes from Pune visited us in Jamaica, at the Racers Track Club. The passion, the love they have for athletics and the way they accepted the guidance given by us really impressed me and that is when I decided to pursue this further and coach more athletes who are passionate about the sport. Before coming to Pune, these athletes would stay in touch with us through the internet and phone calls. I realised that there are people here who want to break the barrier and bring track and field on par with a sport like cricket. The love for track and field is surely present in this city, but it just needed someone to push it on to the next level.
The genetic disposition of the world’s elite sprinters has always been brought into question when determining the hope of aspiring athletes from countries like India. What is your view? Are Indian sprinters running a losing race even before the starter’s gun goes off?
We used to say the same thing about athletes from China and Japan. The whole world has seen how those athletes have grown and improved after beating the 10-second barrier, with timings like 9.89 and 9.90 seconds in 100m. In the past, we never thought a Chinese or Japanese athlete would run anywhere near the 10-second mark, but now they have done it. So, nothing is impossible. Anything can happen. Athletes just need to look at questions like, “What is needed? What are we doing? Are training and dieting properly?” We have already seen athletes like Dutee Chand and Hima Das excel in their events, so it is not going to be an impossible task for Indian athletes to win a medal at the Olympics in track and field. The talent is here. They just need to work hard and be consistent. I think it is just a matter of time before it happens.
Doping has dogged the sprinting community for decades now. At the coaching level, how do you deal with it?
When I coached high school, supplements were not recommended. Personally, I do not encourage any kind of supplement for my athletes, because according to me, it is best if an athlete goes through a natural and proper phase of growth and development. If they take supplements, it could affect their growth, bones, muscles... there are several things that can go wrong. At the senior level, we can only encourage them to avoid these supplements, but we cannot control the intake of every single adult athlete. Every athlete is responsible for what they consume on a daily basis. We have set our standards and live up to them. But, as coaches, we do not have much control over this.
Is there anything lacking at the athletic meets you attended in Maharashtra?
I do not think I can answer this, because I have just come here. I have been to two tournaments, so to make a comment is not really fair. I need to see more, I need to learn more and then only will I be able to say something about what needs to be altered.