After injury-laden season last year, TN long jumper Sherin looks to get back to her best

CHENNAI: Once touted as a bright young talent, Sherin Abdul Gafoor is back to her best. She recently stamped her authority at the Tamil Nadu Senior State Championships in Trichy as she broke the meet record in the women's long jump event.
By registering her personal-best mark of 6.46m, 24-year-old Sherin broke the record (6.44m) and emerged triumphant. Sherin had persistent injury issues last year and could participate in only two competitions.
“I suffered from an injury in the second half of the season last year. The recovery took a lot of time, and I am still not fully fit. I was expecting to record 6.30m to 6.40m at the state meet as I did not have a proper off-season, but I managed to perform better than what I expected,” Sherin told TOI.
Two years ago, the TN youngster leapt 6.45m at the Indian U-23 Championships and was among the top women's long jumpers in the country. She then joined the JSW, but things did not work out as she could not continue her stay there.
“After a few weeks of training at JSW, I trained on my own and in 2023, I got close (fell 0.4m short - 6.41m) to the qualifying mark for the Asian Games at the Indian Championships. After, I got injured and could only participate in the Open Nationals. Earlier this year, I participated in the Federation Cup and was only 40% fit. I feel a lot better now and I am looking forward to the Inter-State Athletics later this month.”
Pursuing a Master’s degree at Loyola College in Chennai, Sherin is currently training alongside a group of friends, helping out each other.
“I do not have a coach to guide me as of now. I need a coach and a good centre for training. I had been training at the Nehru Stadium under the SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) for a month but the injury did not help me continue my stay. After the Inter-State Athletics meet, I will aim to qualify for the SAFF Athletics Championships, which might probably take place in October,” Sherin added.