When cb shintomon

National Inter State Senior Athletics: When CB Shintomon lined up for the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, few in the stands would have guessed how late he came into athletics or how unlikely his journey has been. Until 2021, he had never stepped on a synthetic track.

His life revolved around studies, local school football matches and occasional labour during vacation in cardamom plantations near his village in Erattayar, in Kerala’s Idukki district.

But a chance spotting during a football game changed everything. Kerala Sports Council Academy coach Baiju Joseph noticed his strong frame and raw physical potential. Convinced that the youngster was meant for athletics, Baiju persuaded him to try the 400m and high jump. Those experiments eventually led to the event where he truly belonged, the 110m hurdles.