LEAP OF FAITH
There's T.C. Yohanan's 8.07 m long-jump at the Teheran Asian Games in 1974 and there's Sanjay Kumar Rai's 8.02 m at the International Circuit Meet in Mumbai this October. Between best and second-best now lies a leap of faith. "I know I can beat it as I'm regularly doing 8.10 m plus during practice," says Sanjay, a railway employee from Payee village in Uttar Pradesh, only the second Indian after Yohanan to cross the 8 m mark. Quite possible, considering his Mumbai performance came in spite of a back injury.

Taking after his father Bhuwaneshar Rai, a mean long jumper at the district level, Sanjay, also a triple jumper, took to the event at age 12. In 1996, he was doing 7.50 m which got long-jump specialist Kuntal Roy interested. "I sensed his potential," says Roy. He has left Sanjay's old-fashioned hitch-kicking style untouched. Instead he's working on the boy's strength and his landing. "I've seen the top long-jumpers in Europe -- and Sanjay is equally good," says Roy. "A long-jumper peaks at 24-26 and Sanjay has the potential to touch 8.40 m." Yohanan better enjoy his record while it lasts.