New Delhi: In the face of the unforgivable anger of the Sun at the Asian Youth Championships in 2017, the sixteen -year -old Gurindervir Singh stood on the starting line.
Straight according to the size of the competition and competitors – since he won the gold medals and created national records in almost every event he had participated in until then – the high and muscular frame looked ready to overlap the red ribbon and safely qualifying with ease.
But Destiny had other plans.
“I had the most unusual experience of my life,” says Gurindervir Timesofindia.com.
He ran heat, but barely made a cut and placed on the next round in 16. What followed was shaking with a sprinter.
“Coaches and other players, even my own roommate, mocked me. They said I would never win the medal, that I was lucky to be” best loser “,” recalls Gurindervir. “That hurt me a lot.”
The runner broke inside and jumped food and isolated. Then came the call from his father Kamaljeet Singh.
“I didn’t tell anyone at home about my situation, or my coach (Sarabjeet Singh). When I talked to my father, I told him I qualified, but I didn’t mention my rank,” Gurindervir said.
Also read: “My parents did not want another girl, let me die”: The first Indian won the UFC Puja Tomar
“When my father asked me,” What is the chance of getting a medal? “I told him that the second or third place was possible.
Kamaljeet’s words lit fire in Gurindervir. In the semifinal he not only qualified, but also became the fastest runner.
Before he reached the final, he became a champion from Underdog. He won gold against all chances and became the first Indian to do so.
From the patio to the stage: the way of the fastest Indian man
Gurindervir was born in Patial, a small village in the Jalandhar district in Panjab, in December 2000, grew up in a family where a sports dispute was a way of life.
His father, a volleyball player at the national level and his grandfather, a player Kabaddi, who also served in the Indian army, ensured that athletics was not just a proper idea.
“My father began to train me soon. We didn’t have fantastic devices, but he taught me that I skipped, jumped and ran. I trained barefoot,” Gurindervir pointed out.
The turning point came when he saw the record of Usain Bolt at the Olympic Games in 2008. “At that time I knew I wanted to be a sprinter,” he reveals.
At Guru Nanak Mission Public School, his first coach Sarwan Singh, he recognized his raw talent. He taught Gurindervira how to use the initial blocks, introduced him to accumulate and put him on a journey to professional sprinting.
Later, under the leadership of coach Sarabjeet Singh Happy in Jalandhar, Gurindervir broke the national records in the U-14 and U-18 categories.
Hit the bull’s eye and make subtitles
Last week, at Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bengalur, Gurindervir Singh created history in 100 m men and then qualified for the upcoming Asian Championship in South Korea. In a 100m plant he reduced 10.20 seconds and broke the national record of Hoblidhar 10.23 seconds.
“It’s a great success for me,” he says. “I tried to break this record for a long time. In 2020 I was equal to the national record, but I missed it with a violation of just 0.01 seconds.”
Hoblidhar improved his time to 10.22 seconds, but finished second, while Amlan Borgohain was third.
All three athletes train at the high -performance Reliance Foundation center, where Gurindervir has been working under James Hillier’s supervision since September 2024.
Obstacles on the track
However, the road to the national record was far from smooth. Gurindervir fought between 2022 and 2023 fought with serious health problems.
“I stayed away from home. The food was not nutritious in a sports hostel. I tried to cook for myself, but after I did it for one and a half months, I didn’t have enough time, but then I realized that the food was not healthy enough,” he said it wasn’t ideal either.
“Our hostel was very old, her water reservoir had contaminated water, no one stained it and no one cared. The poor water quality in the hostel worsened things. I even got my own water filter, but it didn’t help much. Vomiting, I lost 10-12 kg in just 8-10 days.”
Despite several treatments, including medicines and Ayurveda, nothing worked: “It was one of the most depressed times of my life. I couldn’t sleep and my body gave up.”
The turning point came when his coach recommended a supplement based on mushrooms that helped his digestion. By 2024 he almost fully recovered.
“Slowly, my condition stabilized. I won gold at the Federation Championships and the interstate championship and joined Reliance in September 2024. I have fully recovered with better devices,” he adds.
The hard reality of Indian athletics
Despite his success, Gurindervir is painfully aware of financial struggles in Indian athletics.
“Every athlete wants to win medals for his country and see how their national flag has increased. But then there is a financial aspect. The sports career lasts only 10-20 years. If the athlete does not become financially stable at the time, then what is the use of medals?
Bombay Sport Exchange Episode 1: Interview with Sanjog Gupta, CEO (Sports) at SiStar
“I did not start to get a job. My goal was always to win the medal. The work itself would not satisfy me. But my older athletes who played in Asian games told me that there were not enough facilities, financing or even proper food support from the government,” he sighs. “They recommended me to take a job if I got an offer because you never know what could happen – the injury could end your career, and then you would have nothing. Therefore, many athletes will end up with work. But the problem is that they can’t train properly.”
Get the latest iPL 2025 updates in the Times of India, including matches, team units, points and points and Live score of IPL for CSK, Mi, RCB, Krk, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS and RR. Do not miss the list of players in the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.
