German stint as Nauraj eyes Tokyo jump

Nauraj has recently relocated to Leipzig, Germany to begin a new chapter in his life that not only includes his personal life (he has a fiancee there), but also his athletic career. He has started working with a German coach, and together they are getting him prepared for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic qualifiers.

He describes his family as a typical Indian (Punjabi) family that believes traditions passed down from ancestors are very important and meaningful.

Tell us about your family. Are they athletes too?

“My older sister played netball (she is 176cm in height) in high school, and my younger sister (185cm) threw the shot putt in school. That’s about it for their sports lives.

“Dad (198cm) played badminton in his younger days and was good at it, and Mum (172cm) was a hockey captain back in her school days.”

When did you switch to high jump, and why?

“I was nine when high jump was brought into my life by my school teacher. He saw potential in my lanky physical body that could allow me to excel in the sport. He trained me for high jump in school for a whole year without any competitions.

“When I was 10 years old, I competed for the first time in high jump and was breaking many records all over my zone and district level. One of those records still exists today.”

Read the full story, Jumping for gold (The Sun, 27 Oct 2020), here.