In a defining moment for Indian athletics, Gulveer Singh, a 25-year-old long-distance runner from Sirsa village in Uttar Pradesh, claimed the gold medal in the men’s 10,000-meter race at the Asian Athletics Championships on Tuesday, finishing with an impressive time of 28 minutes, 17.92 seconds.
The son of a marginal farmer, Singh’s ascent to the top of Asia’s long-distance leaderboard is more than a sports story — it’s a testament to the untapped potential of India’s rural heartland and the quiet revolution underway in grassroots athletics.
A Life Shaped by Discipline and Distance
Singh’s training grounds were far from elite facilities or synthetic tracks. His journey began on dusty village paths, often before dawn, balancing agricultural labor and studies. With limited access to sports nutrition, coaching, or even proper footwear in his early years, Singh’s rise is rooted in sheer endurance, consistency, and family support.
He was discovered through inter-school and district-level meets and was later inducted into national athletics camps. Over the past few years, he has steadily risen through domestic ranks, regularly finishing on the podium in national championships.
In the build-up to the Asian Athletics Championships, Singh had intensified his training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training center in Bengaluru, where he focused on elevation training, improved pacing, and aerobic conditioning.
A Landmark for Indian Long-Distance Running
India has traditionally struggled in long-distance track events, where East African nations like Kenya and Ethiopia have long dominated. While Indian sprinters and javelin throwers have broken through internationally, endurance events have lacked breakthrough moments — until now.
Singh’s gold not only ended India’s long wait for a continental medal in the 10,000m but also broke stereotypes about rural athletes lacking the means to compete at the highest levels.
“His performance shows the value of investing in decentralized training programs,” said a senior Athletics Federation of India official. “It also reminds us that talent exists beyond metros — it’s our job to find and nurture it.”
Singh’s win comes amid a broader push by the Indian government and private sports foundations to scout talent from rural India through the Khelo India initiative and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
The Road Ahead: Eyes on Paris 2028
While his gold is being widely celebrated, Singh is already looking ahead. His time of 28:17.92, though remarkable by Asian standards, still falls short of the Olympic qualification mark of 27:00.00 for Paris 2024. But with continued coaching, exposure, and international training, Singh is being seen as a potential candidate for India’s long-distance Olympic squad in the next cycle.
“Gulveer has shown he has the grit,” said his coach. “With scientific training and international exposure, he could be India’s first real threat in 10,000m on the world stage.”
Back in his village, celebrations erupted as news of his win broke. “We had little, but we had hope,” said his father, a small-time sugarcane farmer. “My son made our whole village proud today.”