Former 100 metres world champion, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake (left) and United States’ sprinter Noah Lyles pose for a photograph with a student of Sherborne School Qatar at the Mall of Qatar in Al Rayyan, yesterday. Picture: Armstrong Vas / The Peninsula
Doha: Star Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, a self-confessed cricket fan, is looking to appear in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) in the near future.
The 29-year-old said he is keen to turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) when he is done with athletics.
“I am looking forward to playing in the IPL with RCB when I finish my track and field career,” said Blake while talking to The Peninsula.
The date and year when Blake will turn out for the IPL team has not been finalised yet. Blake has gone on record in the past that cricket has been first love as a child until athletics took over.
Blake has so far won two gold medals in Olympics as part of the famous Jamacian 4 x 100m relay team, which included Usian Bolt while his two silver medals at the 2012 London Games in the 100 and 200 metres individual events.
Blake attributes his switch to athletics to an Indian man.
“I was a fast bowler and I was running fast to deliver the ball. An Indian man saw me and suggested that I should be in athletics and not on the cricket field,” recalled Blake.
The champion sprinter is in Qatar to take part in the IAAF World Championships which begins today in Doha.
“Yes, my first love has been cricket and coming from a poor background my parents pushed me into athletics,” added Blake, who won gold in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Championships held in London.
Blake is keenly following cricket on and off the field and has installed a cricket nets, including a bowling machine to have regular cricket sessions in his backyard in Jamaica.
“Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kholi, Zaheer Khan, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawerdene,” Blake said, when asked to name his favourite players.
In Doha on the athletics field, Blake wants to register his best ahead of the Olympics next year.
Meanwhile, American sprinter Noah lyles who holds personal bests of 9.86 secs in 100 metres and 19.50 secs for the 200 meters, said one of his goals is to set a world record.
“I want to break the world record in my events and I will not rest on just breaking the record. I will love to better the world record,” said Lyles, while answering a series of questions from school students of Sherborne School Qatar.
