Wayne Pepin talk: Chennai long jumper seeking Commonwealth Games spot

PATIALA: As the blanket of darkness began to envelop the ground, the temperature also dipped. To keep their muscles from getting stiff, the athletes had already taken refuge under an extra layer of clothing. Most of them, who had assembled here for the Federation Cup, had already packed their bags after finishing off their day’s work.

“Don’t loiter around. Keep yourself wrapped up and go to the room,” a national team coach could be heard instructing his international athlete. A little while later the coach realised that he had shouted at the wrong person. In that fading light, it was impossible to gauge who was who.

Wayne Pepin is just 170 cm tall. His short gait and the lithe figure is even more deceptive. He could easily pass off as an athletic buff who came to cheer on the athletes or a support staff. Very much prone to be missed by all, especially in the cold night where even the national record-holding Olympians are addressed as ‘bhaai’.

In this night-induced egalitarian gathering, there is no chance that Pepin gets recognised. But come Monday, the Chennai athlete is likely to grab eyeballs.

Pepin is 35 and is coming to the national competitive scenario after a gap of 12 years. The last major competition that he took part was in the SAF Games 2006 where he had won gold in the long jump. However, he had to stop his career soon as his job in Indian Bank didn’t permit him to be away on national duty. Thus came the sabbatical that was finally broken in 2016 when he took part in 100m in the Federation Cup where he clocked 10.65s.

From 2017 onwards, he turned his focus on long jump, with an intention of coming back and the return got sweeter when he won gold in the Indian Grand Prix here last week. He jumped 7.62m to obliterate many current stars of the country.

Pepin said his return was possible because of the timing of his job in recent years. He has been working in the clearing department and that demands his presence during the night time only. “It was 8 pm-1 am. So I can sleep till eight in the morning and then go for training. So, my friends told me to try for a comeback,” Pepin said.

Having had a personal best of 7.90m set 15 years ago, Pepin is aiming for an eight-metre-plus jump that could earn him a spot in the Commonwealth Games team. “I don’t feel I am that old. The field is strong, but I like the competition. I am here to win and prove a point that age is just a number,” he said.
Most of his contemporaries have left the sport, and a few like Sanjay Rai are into coaching. Pepin too has taken some junior athletes under his wings. But the good part is that he hasn’t stopped using his wings because of that.

shan.as@newindianexpress.com