A near miss or an upset few saw coming? How Gurindervir Singh views his 100m inter-state gold in light of Paris Olympics setback

Community is one of the most important parts of Gurindervir Singh’s life. The support that the sprinter has received from those close to him was key in helping him race to an upset in the 100m final at the 63rd national inter-state athletics meet.

As he readied for the 100m final also featuring favorites Amlan Borgohain and Animesh Kujur, Gurindervir took heart from the near-packed crowd cheering for him.

The 23-year-old had been away from the sport due to an intestine-related issue that affected his ability to take a proper diet and in turn train. He, however, showed shockingly little rust en-route to winning a second inter-state gold.

He clocked 10.32 seconds to edge out Kujur, who came second followed by Borgohain in the third spot. The minute he crossed the finish line, chants of “Jo bole so nihaal” took over the stadium — which burst into celebration along with the athlete himself.

“The support of the home crowd matters, the more they cheer for us the more motivation we get as athletes to do better,” Gurindervir Singh told Sportskeeda shortly after his win.

And yet, the timing was not good enough to secure a berth at the Paris Olympics, the direct qualification cut for which is 10 seconds. In fact, Gurindervir’s own personal best is marginally quicker at 10.27 seconds. Despite the setback though, the athlete viewed the results as his much-awaited "comeback".

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Comeback complete, Gurindervir Singh now looking beyond Paris Olympics

Gurinderveer Singh after winning the 100m final at the Tua Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula. (Image: Sportskeeda)

Gurindervir Singh, who is currently based in Jalandhar, is looking ahead despite the setback. Vowing to go under 10.10 this year, he has his eyes on improving his personal best.

The conditions in Panchkula were humid and the athlete himself admitted, weather not on the athletes’ side.

He has also battled other odds such as the lack of support on the ground. The 23-year-old continues to train in Jalandhar with his coach Sarabjit Singh Happy, but is in conversation for a spot in the camp being run by the Reliance Foundation — which also backs the likes of Amlan Borgohain, Animesh Kujur and Manikanta Hoblidhar.

Until then, he finds support in his community, who he says are willing to support his endeavours and finance his trips abroad to participate in international meets.

“The lack of institutional support, absence of proper grounds for training has all taken a toll,” Gurindervir Singh said.

“My community is supporting me, both in India and overseas,” he continued. “Members of the Sikh community in the US as well have come forward to extend support, both financial and otherwise.”

The exposure he feels is important to sustain growth. He has seen players travel on the international circuit and wishes to do the same.

Gurinderveer Singh is perfectly happy taking the back seat as those heading to the Paris Olympics take centre stage for now. It was not long ago that he had lost 8 kg in 12 days due to his illness.

He looks forward to getting his fitness level up and when his time comes, the youngster will be ready for his short again.