For Gurindervir Singh, sprinting is meditation, a battle with himself and a relentless pursuit of the barriers that stand in his way. When India’s fastest man takes the track by storm, the sheer pace he generates to charge towards the finish line is fuelled not just by stamina and brute physical power, but also by a deep connection with the history, culture and spirit of Punjab and Sikhism.
“I read Punjabi history and the history of our culture. I read it again and again about my roots, my religion and my history – it makes me feel very strong. My genes are very strong,” Gurindervir told Sports Now in an exclusive interview.
His admiration for Dr Surjit Patar’s work, among many other authors, offers a glimpse into Gurindervir’s deep-rooted Punjabi identity. There is perhaps a familiar cultural thread here – the same one that once drew India to Milkha Singh, the legendary Punjabi athlete who ruled Asia’s 400m track.
Growing up in Punjab’s Bhogpur village, endured long bus journeys to training, returning home exhausted in the evening. There was little time to rest or recover, but his passion for running and the resilience of youth kept him going – with a second-hand scooter provided by his boyhood coach, Kamaljit Singh, gaving him a small respite from the daily grind.
It is this foundation that keeps fear and concern out of his mind. He is unbothered by the level of competition at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. At the Indian Athletics Series Final on September 10 – the final warm-up event before he flies to Japan on Saturday – he sounded a defiant note: “Everyone is telling me that you are competing with a strong country, the athletes are strong there, next time no one will be able to say that you are competing with a strong country.”
He has every reason to boast. After all, he holds the Asian season-best time of 10.09s, making him the outright favourite for the gold medal. The Asians who will provide him with stiff competition are Malaysia’s Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi (10.17s), compatriot Animesh Kujur and Iran’s Falah Hasan Al-Khazaali (10.21s).
Back in spotlight
But on his comeback from a long injury layoff on Thursday, he could manage only 10.32 seconds on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium’s Mondo track, finishing second behind his friend and on-track rival Animesh Kujur.
Yet, for Gurindervir, it was never just about the clock. What mattered was being back on the track, back in the spotlight, months after he had risen above the din of Indian athletics to become a superstar. In May, he had become the only Indian to go under 10.1s at the Federation Cup athletics in Ranchi.
His stardom was visible the moment he finished the 100m dash. Young children flocked to him, touching his feet and seeking his blessings; school teachers introduced themselves as physical education experts, while parents waited for a chance to click a picture with him. And Guri, as he is fondly known as he is fondly known, was happy to oblige. There was no irritation, no visible fatigue, no attempt to escape the attention – only a quiet willingness to embrace it. In Indian athletics, that is rare.
He had gone through a torrid time since the incredible evening of May 23 in Ranchi. He picked up a hamstring injury, hit a new low, crashed out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the heat and made a dismal seventh-place finish at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar.
In that sense, the Indian Athletics Series Final was Gurindervir’s comeback event. He was, however, some distance from his best. “I liked the race, but there were a few problems, like my block start was not good, my exit was not good, so that part was weak for me, if it was strong, I would have gone in 10.1 or 10-flat, that’s a different story, but that happens, it will click, it should click in Asian Games, so there is no problem,” he said, analysing his race.
‘Performance will come’
Gurindervir has raised the bar, and Animesh has always been close on his heels. Both will be on the track at the Asian Games, blazing a trail for Indian athletics, with the hope of a sub-10 finish now stronger than ever. For Gurindervir, though, the first target is not the timing.
“I will not predict the timing. I want to win the medal for the country. And to win a medal, I have to run a strong race. If I run a strong race, the timing would be automatically improved,” he said.
And after his first race since injury, Gurindervir, the Jalandhar man, brushed aside any fear or concern. “Everything is good, I have worked hard, my body is good, my physique is good, I am mentally focused, everything is good, it is just a matter of timing, and the Asian Games will come and the performance will come,” he assured.
Backed by a robust support system of coaches, physios and two nutritionists at Reliance Foundation, Gurindervir recovered under the watchful eye of coach James Hillier.
“They helped me achieve all this, everyone is very helpful, the atmosphere there is very good, and they will support us very well in the future and we will perform well,” he said.
As Gurindervir looks to become the first Indian man since Lavy Pinto to win Asian Games 100m gold, he will carry with him the weight of a nation’s expectations and draw strength of his roots and identity that has always driven him forward.