Commonwealth Games is past, now hope to win gold in Asiad: Arpinder Singh

Patiala: The triple jump bronze at the Glasgow is "history" and athlete Arpinder Singh is now looking forward to prove himself at the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon, which will provide him with a stage bigger than the one at Hampden Park.

"I am not thinking about Commonwealth Games anymore, that is history. Now my main target is Asian Games and Rio Olympics. I have to prove myself in these two tournaments and at least hope to bring a gold from Incheon," he said. Arpinder broke the national record in men`s triple jump with a stupendous 17.17m jump in the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in June this year. "I was confident of a gold in Glasgow but I could not. I cannot blame the weather, as the game I play is an outdoor one and I have to be ready for any situation. But obviously the absence of my coach actually made all the difference. Anyway, I hope the same thing does not get repeated again and I am more hopeful this time," Arpinder told PTI. The 21-year-old was here for the announcement of the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championship, starting August 16, which will also be the trials for the Asian Games in Incheon. Arpinder said that it will not be an easy affair in Asiad, as there are a number of tough competitors from countries like Korea, Kazakhstan and China. "In Asian Games, the competition is tougher as top medal winning nations in Olympics like China, Korea are part of it. I am also hoping for a tough fight from Kazakhstan," he said. Arpinder, though, added that he is going through a purple patch and wants to make most of it. "After training for eight years I know this is my peak. So I have to make or break it," he said. Like quite a few other fellow athletes, Arpinder too could not hide his displeasure with the Punjab government`s failure to support sports in the state. "Even 10 years back at least half of country`s athletes were from Punjab. But today you see the condition. No one even bothers to even talk to us. Only a handful are successful, and that too we have done with our own personal expenses," said the boy from Amritsar.