Khelo India University Games — Finding his lane: The quiet rise of Shintomon C.B.

When Shintomon C.B. crossed the finish line first in the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) in Jaipur on Wednesday, he looked like a man who expected it.

After a subdued celebration, his eyes went straight to the giant LED screen, where 14.32s flashed next to his name – a new meet record and a maiden athletics medal at the competition for Mahatma Gandhi University.

Still, a flicker of disappointment crossed his face.

“I am happy with the result, but disappointed about my time. My best is 14.18s, and I wanted to do better than that,” Shintomon admitted.

For someone who took up the sport just three years ago, Shintomon’s rise has been built as much on calmness as on determination.

Finding his lane

With a father who worked as a construction painter and a mother employed on a plantation in Kerala’s Kottayam district, sport was never a profession Shintomon imagined.

Beyond routine school-level meets, there was no push to test how far he might go.

After completing his schooling, he enrolled in M.E.S. College in Nedumkandam in 2020, where he slowly began to step onto the track and field circuit. It was during this period that coaches from St. Dominic’s College in Kanjirapally identified him for his physical build and ability.

The invitation to join St. Dominic’s came with its own hurdles. He had to drop out of M.E.S. and lose an academic year. The decision was not well-received by his father.

“Initially, when I planned to drop out, my father was a bit angry and tried to convince me not to do it. But my mother supported me, and she wanted me to succeed somehow. Thankfully, it is going well so far,” Shintomon told Sportstar.

But the shift in colleges was only the first step. In his first year on the track, he could not break the 15-second barrier, and doubt crept in. To make matters worse, he suffered an ankle injury that put him out of action for three to four months.

It was during this vulnerable phase that athletics coach Julius J. Manayani arrived at the college. Manayani, who specialises in hurdles, immediately arranged for his recovery and instilled in Shintomon a sense of belief he never knew existed.

“Within a month after coming here (St Dominic’s), I heard about Shintomon from the senior students. When I met him, he had his leg covered in plaster and looked like he had given up,” Manayani said.

“Then I sent him to a doctor in Thodupuzha, where he underwent proper treatment. That season, he did not perform much, but the following year, he became regular and continued to improve. It could be clearly seen how his morale boosted once he started recording better times,” he added.

The turnaround came quickly. At the All India Inter University Athletics Championship in December last year, he bagged the silver medal with his personal best timing, which in turn made him eligible for the ongoing KIUG.

According to the coach, Shintomon has grown into a “fighter”.

On Tuesday, he was called in at short notice to replace another athlete in the 4×400 mixed relay, a task he took up on the chin. While a medal eluded him, Manayani noted that Shintomon’s readiness to run was a sign of positive progress.

“He has no competition fear, which is very important. And now that he has got a medal around his neck, the confidence will only grow more,” said Manayani.

Shintomon’s swift ascent over the years is an encouraging sign, but he maintains that the gold medal is only a small milestone in a longer journey. The Asian Games next year remains a distant but enticing target, but the 23-year-old stays grounded, aware of how much still remains to be done.

“My next goal is to prepare and take part in more competitions and get timings consistently under 14 seconds. Only then will I be able to compete at a higher level and get into better events and win medals,” Shintomon concluded.

Published on Dec 04, 2025