Exclusive/ India's Fastest Man Gurindervir Singh Reignites Lost Hope: 'We Punjabis Always Wanted To Do Something Different'

Behind every celebrated success lies countless unseen hours of hard work. When Gurindervir Singh broke the National Record in May, he not only shattered the 10.10 seconds barrier, but also set a precedent for other athletes to follow. His 10.09 seconds mark already prompted him to break the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark and the onus will be on the 25-year-old to keep the Indian flag flying high in the CWG, followed by the Asian Games.

On the sidelines of the inaugural Indian Athletics Awards, Gurindervir Singh opened up on a lot of aspects in a candid conversation with RepublicWorld.

Why did you choose sprinting as a career?

We Punjabis always wanted to do something different from the others. What everyone does can be done normally. But I wanted to do something which was not done by anyone.

In the Federation Cup final, you broke Animesh Kujur's record in the semifinal first, and then Animesh went on to break your record in the other semifinal. Was there any pressure to break the national record, or were you just concentrating on the final prize?

No, there was no pressure. Hopefully, I think Animesh also didn't have such pressure. You don't have any pressure. You have trust in your training, and you always try to give your best, and you end up creating a record. I didn't come to the race thinking of creating a record. I just came, and I ran.

You had to take a break because of some digestive problems. From there to now, what kind of challenges have you faced so far?

There have been challenges. I've learnt many things. I've come to know about the right people. I've become more mature as a person. When I joined Reliance Foundation, I got the facilities that were lacking.

How has your family's support been in your journey so far?

Family has been my backbone throughout my journey. When time was not on my side, they were with me. They helped me dream big, work hard and implement things. One day, the dream will come true, and things will fall in place.

With consistent performance, there will be extra pressure. How will you deal with it?

There is no alternative. I only work hard and hard work brings consistency. I only work hard and will continue to run.

What has been Reliance Foundation's contribution to your journey?

Reliance Foundation has a big role to play. They created a brilliant atmosphere, provided good training partners, helped with good coaches, good diet and many things. I give credit to Reliance Foundation for my National Record. I alone didn't do this. It's a team effort.

Also Read: Record-Breaking Half-Hour: Gurindervir Singh Blazes To 10.09s 100m And Vishal Breaks 45s Barrier In 400m, Smashing 2 National Records