New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) Cuban legend Javier Sotomayor, the only person to clear the 8-foot high jump barrier, visited the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium on Sunday. He inspected the Mondo track and other amenities, including the recently constructed SAI Fitness Centre. Sotomayor’s record jump of 2.45 meters, achieved in Spain in 1993, has remained unbroken for more than 32 years.

The Cuban, the 1992 Olympics gold medallist, was accompanied by Palestinian middle-distance runner Mohammed Dwedar, who recently participated in the Tokyo World Championships. They engaged with SAI athletes and coaches, including Indian para high jumper Sharad Kumar, Indian javelin star Sachin Yadav, and Russian javelin coach Sergey Makarov, who is currently training Indian javelin throwers.

Sotomayor, on his second visit to India, praised the JLN facility, saying, “I feel very good to be in India again and I like India a lot. The JLN Stadium Mondo track is great. It is of very good quality for achieving good results.”

The 58-year-old also praised India’s progress in track and field, particularly in javelin, adding, “Indian athletes keep getting better each time. Today, at the world level, they already have very high quality in javelin throw. I hope that in the coming years they will also excel in the other disciplines of athletics.”

The Cuban also noted that such infrastructure is essential for delivering world-class performances. “In the next 10 years, we want to have stadiums as big as this in Cuba. We now have a sense of what is required,” Sotomayor said.

Palestinian athlete Mohammed Dwedar still hopes to compete at the JLN Stadium someday. “It is my dream to come and compete in a place like this. I’m so happy to come to India and I wish to come train here, do a lot of competitions and make national records for my country,” the 24-year-old said while stepping onto the track.

Sharad Kumar, a two-time Paralympic medalist, described the meeting with Sotomayor as surreal. “He is an icon for every high jumper, and I have followed him ever since I started my high jump journey. It is a privilege to meet him here in India and have a knowledge exchange,” he said.

In a touching moment, Sharad arranged for Sotomayor to FaceTime with fellow Indian high jumper Praveen Kumar, giving both the opportunity to meet the legend.

Sotomayor and Dwedar participated as panellists in the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival 2025 in New Delhi the day before, engaging in various discussions.

–IANS

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