NEW DELHI: The life of an athlete presents several challenges, particularly for those with young families who spend considerable time away from home, training and competing abroad.
India’s prominent longdistance runner Gulveer Singh — who is set to embark on what he calls a ‘national duty’ at the Asian athletics championships in South Korea’s Gumi, from May 27 to 31 — is coming to terms with this reality.
Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medalist Gulveer expe -rienced a remarkable coincidence when his daughter was born in Nov last year when he was competing at the Hachio -ji Long Distance 2024 athletics meet in Japan, where he established a new national record in the men’s 10,000m.
Follow -ing the competition, the 26-year-old contacted his village Sirsa in Western UP’s Atrauli district to share news of his sporting achievement. In return, he received the joyous news of becoming a father to a baby girl. On his return, Gulveer managed only a brief four-day visit to his home to spend time with his newborn before re -turning to the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) national camp in Bengaluru.
“It’s been six months since I have been home. It’s a lonely world out there for me. It’s difficult to stay away from your family and children. I can only see the face of my child during video calls. But it is important to represent the nation. I call it ‘national duty’,” Gulveer told TOI in an interview.
“After the Japan meet in Nov, I have been competing abroad regularly. I was in Colorado Springs in the USA for training at their Olympic centre. Now, I am going for the Asian meet and then another competition before I come home. I am hoping to do well in Gumi,” he said.
The Army man, who is the first Indian distance runner to breach the 13-minute bar rier for indoor 5,000m event (in the US in Feb this year), said he will look to qualify for the forthcoming World Championships in Japan (from Sep 13-21) in the men’s 10,000m.
India’s prominent longdistance runner Gulveer Singh — who is set to embark on what he calls a ‘national duty’ at the Asian athletics championships in South Korea’s Gumi, from May 27 to 31 — is coming to terms with this reality.
Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medalist Gulveer expe -rienced a remarkable coincidence when his daughter was born in Nov last year when he was competing at the Hachio -ji Long Distance 2024 athletics meet in Japan, where he established a new national record in the men’s 10,000m.
Follow -ing the competition, the 26-year-old contacted his village Sirsa in Western UP’s Atrauli district to share news of his sporting achievement. In return, he received the joyous news of becoming a father to a baby girl. On his return, Gulveer managed only a brief four-day visit to his home to spend time with his newborn before re -turning to the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) national camp in Bengaluru.
“It’s been six months since I have been home. It’s a lonely world out there for me. It’s difficult to stay away from your family and children. I can only see the face of my child during video calls. But it is important to represent the nation. I call it ‘national duty’,” Gulveer told TOI in an interview.
“After the Japan meet in Nov, I have been competing abroad regularly. I was in Colorado Springs in the USA for training at their Olympic centre. Now, I am going for the Asian meet and then another competition before I come home. I am hoping to do well in Gumi,” he said.
The Army man, who is the first Indian distance runner to breach the 13-minute bar rier for indoor 5,000m event (in the US in Feb this year), said he will look to qualify for the forthcoming World Championships in Japan (from Sep 13-21) in the men’s 10,000m.
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