Age doesn't affect my form, Singh says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Age does not matter in sports achievement, as
\n38-year-old shot-putter Shakti Singh of India proved with a new
\nmeet record-breaking win on the opening day of the Asian Track
\nand Field Championships on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Well, I feel I'm still very young. You see that I performed
\nbetter than the youngsters. Age doesn't affect my performance as
\nlong as I can maintain my physical fitness. I think experience is
\ndefinitely much more important,\" he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Singh threw 19.77 meters, 0.60 meters farther than the two-
\nyear-old record created by Mubarak Bilal Saad of Qatar.<\/p>\n
\"This is not my best performance. I threw 20.60 meters in an
\nIndian domestic competition in the last week of July, my best
\nAsian record this year.\"<\/p>\n
The Indian has qualified for the Olympic Games in Sydney in
\nSeptember, but only sets a target for himself of reaching the
\nfinal.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have any medal target at the Olympics. I only want to
\nreach the Olympics final and plan to throw 20.60m at the event.
\nIt's really difficult to win a medal in this year's Olympics.
\nPerhaps in the next Olympics I can bring home a medal,\" he said,
\nadding he would fight it out to qualify for the 2004 Olympics in
\nGreece.<\/p>\n
Singh, the 1998 Asian Games silver medalist, began his
\nathletic career as a discus thrower. He represented India in the
\nmen's discus throw in the 1996 Olympics, his first appearance in
\nthe quadrennial event.<\/p>\n
\"I can take the advantage of starting my career as a discuss
\nthrower as it really helps me to work on my speed when competing
\nin shot put,\" said Singh, who was born on May 14, 1962.<\/p>\n
Singh started his international career in the discuss throw in
\n1989, winning a bronze in his Asian Championships debut that year
\nand fared better in the 1991 event with a silver.<\/p>\n
He turned to shot put in 1995 after undergoing surgery on his
\nleft knee due to injury.<\/p>\n
He won a bronze in the 1995 Asian Championships in Jakarta,
\nanother bronze in the next championships in Fukuoka, Japan in
\n1997, a silver in the 1998 Asiad before capping his shot put
\nrecord with a gold here.<\/p>\n
\"I just started my career in shot put and I really enjoyed it.
\nI have never thought of resigning until the next Olympics.\"<\/p>\n
Despite his gold, Singh remains far from satisfied.<\/p>\n
\"If only I started shot put earlier, I believe I can become a
\ngood shot-putter now.\" (yan)<\/p>",
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