Former Coca Cola Games Champion, Yeshnil Karan turned on exceptional pace to get into the all-time top 10 list for the 3,000 metres in the Athletics Fiji competition at the National Stadium on Saturday 10th April.
Racing alone against the clock, he clocked an impressive electronic time 9 minutes 02.72 seconds to be the eighth fastest on the all-time list and the fastest since 2003 for 3,000m.
On Saturday 3rd April, at the National Championships, Yeshnil won the 800m in a personal best (PB) of 1 min 59.34 secs and 1,500m in another PB of 4 mins 07.69 seconds.Yeshnil who hails from Tavua, had been working on his family farm with limited time to train, since leaving Tavua College where he completed his Form 7.
Since October 2020, Yeshnil’s fortunates changed when former National Distance Coach, Atma Maharaj, started coaching and mentoring him, remotely from Brisbane. Yeshnil relocated to Suva at the end of January 2021, and was offered a job at JR White.Yeshnil is now on a structured and monitored program, which is being managed and monitored by Atma, with his Strength & Conditioning program designed by Henry Elder. Former Olympian and Pacific Games Champion Isireli Naikelekelevesi, who is currently in Fiji is currently supervising Yeshnil with his training and competitions. Isireli’s presence in Fiji is a tremendous boost for Yeshnil, as Isireli is able to provide great insights and inspiration to the 21-year old.
These first steps are designed to help Yeshnil strengthen his foundations and prepare him for Queensland Athletics Season when the boarders eventually open. It is planned for Yeshnil to be in Brisbane from January 2022 to race in the Australian competitions.
Yeshnil’s program is funded by former leading athletes of the once dominant Striders Club and supported by Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) and Athletics Fiji
