Calcutta, June 5: He had a penchant for athletics from a tender age. It was his father, primary school teacher Fuleswar Roy, who spotted a special quality in his high jumping when Harishankar was “eight or nine” years old.

The Jalpaiguri schoolboy took to high jump at that juncture and has remained loyal to that event 10 years down the line. The fruits of commitment are just starting to show.

“I was determined to achieve a personal best today. I would have been happy with 2.15 metres… never thought I would manage to do 2.20m,” a candid Harishankar said minutes after clearing three centimetres more than the existing national mark at the Salt Lake Stadium today.

He is aware that the chances of his achievement being ratified as a national record by the AAFI are very slim. “I’m happy to have done my best ever… My goal now would be to repeat this at next month’s inter-state meet (in Chennai),” said the 18-year-old.

Harishankar attributed his dramatic improvement to a three-month stint at SAI Patiala with his personal coach Subhas Sarkar.

Former ‘golden girl’ Jyotirmoyee Sikdar was present at the stadium (with husband Avtar Singh and two-year-old son Avrajyoti) to watch the record-breaking act. “Just shows there is good talent in our state,” said the recently-turned MP.

On Anju Bobby George’s medal prospect in Olympics, Sikdar said she was hopeful. “Nobody expected me to win two golds at Bangkok Asian Games… don’t put it beyond Anju.”