KUALA LUMPUR: The name Jayvind Thanabalan may not ring a bell now, but expect to hear more of him in the national athletics scene in the near future.
The Form Five student of SMK Tunku Syed Idrus, Tampin, shone at the Negri Sembilan Schools Sports Council (MSSNS) Athletics Championships at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium early this week.
Jayvind shattered the boys Open 3000m record with a time of 8:54.15
— the previous mark was 9:40.82 set by S. Karti Keyan in 2018 — to win the gold medal.
Remarkably, Jayvind’s time was even faster than the national schools record of 8:55.99 set by S. Dinesh Varma of Selangor in 2019.
Jayvind also set a new meet record in the 1500m by clocking 4:13.45, which erased the 20-year-old record of 4:13.70 set by S. Kajenthiran of Port Dickson in 2005.
Jayvind was named as the best Male Athlete in the MSSNS for his feats.
Jayvind, who took up athletics at the age of 10, also won the 8km MSSM cross country meet in Jasin, Melaka in May.
Jayvind, whose idol is Malaysia’s fastest man Azeem Fahmi, said: “All my hard work in training for the last six months has paid off.
“I thanked my teachers, Fadhlan Aiman Azlan and Rosfazilawati for helping me in training and supporting me.
“My ambition is to become a national runner one day,” added Jayvind who is fired up to win his first ever medal in the MSSM competition in Perlis next month.
Teacher Fadhlan said that Jayvind is a highly dedicated individual.
“As his coach, I have great confidence in his future, not only in athletics, but also in his academic journey. I truly believe he has the potential to go far.
“Despite having a very demanding training schedule, Jayvind has never wavered in his pursuit of excellence.
“He starts his day as early as 4.30am with training, showing a level of discipline and dedication that is rare for someone his age.
“Even after a full day at school, he continues with self-training in the evenings.
“His consistency and work ethic are truly admirable, and it is this drive that sets him apart as a student-athlete destined for greatness,” said Fadhlan.