As sprinter Gurindervir Singh dominates headlines after shattering the national record in the 100m race, there is another chapter from his journey—one that highlights his wish for better sports infrastructure long before he became a national sensation.
Nearly six years ago, when Gurindervir was training at the Government Arts and Sports College in Jalandhar, he joined fellow athletes in a protest against the institution’s then-damaged, 24-year-old synthetic athletics track. Fresh from winning a silver medal at the South Asian (SAF) Games in Nepal, Gurindervir and other athletes expressed disappointment through protest over the fact that they had to train on a track they said was unfit for competitive sports.
Holding a placard that read “Sports City Without Track,” Gurindervir became one of the leading voices demanding improved facilities for athletes. The protest drew attention to the poor state of infrastructure despite the athletes’ international achievements.
The campaign eventually yielded results, with the college receiving a new synthetic track a year after the protest.
Recalling those days, Sarabjit Singh Happy, Gurindervir’s former coach who trained him for nearly a decade, said the young sprinter was committed to ensuring better facilities for future athletes.
“Gurindervir had won a silver medal. He joined the protest because he believed athletes deserved proper infrastructure to reach their full potential,” said coach Happy.
