Mechanic's Son From Alwar Wins 800 m Bronze At Asian Athletics Championships In China

 

 

Alwar : Driven by sheer passion and hard work, a young athlete from Alwar has overcome financial constraints, limited resources and lack of facilities to earn a bronze medal in the 800-metres race at the Asian Athletics Championships in China. The story of Shakeel Khan exemplifies struggle, self-confidence and family sacrifice.

This athlete, who once walked to the stadium to practice on the dirt track, has found a place for himself on the Asian podium through hard work. He now has his sight set on an Olympic medal. But despite winning numerous medals at the national and international levels, he has been unable to get the needed government assistance. Although he secured a job with the Railways through the sports quota, he still awaits financial assistance that can help him bring back more medals.

 

Coming from Nangli Palkhadi village, Shakeel won the bronze medal in the 800-metres race at the just concluded 1st Asian Under-23 Athletics Championships held in Ordos in China, clocking 1 minute 48.78 seconds. This is Shakeel's second consecutive Asian medal.

Shakeel told ETV Bharat that he started running in 2017. “Initially, I ran on the dirt path in my village. Later, I started running in the village school. One day, when I saw a village athlete running, I felt the urge to make a name for myself in the sport,” he said while relating that his family's financial condition was poor. His father was a mechanic and his elder brother did a job that paid Rs 10,000.

 

But when he expressed his dream of becoming an athlete, his family supported him and encouraged him to go ahead. Shakeel disclosed that due to his family's poor financial situation, he often ran to the stadium to practice. When he started running, people would ask him what the future held in athletics, how it would help his family and what level he would reach. “People didn't know much about athletics but I was confident that one day I would achieve my goal and bring glory to my family and the country," he said.

 

He began practicing at the RR College Ground in Alwar city under the coach Sabal Pratap Singh. He spent nearly four years running on a dirt track in Alwar. Then, in 2021, he came to know about an academy in Bhopal where players practiced on a synthetic track. He appeared for trials and joined the academy.

 

Shakeel said that he is yet to receive the kind of support an athlete should be getting from the government. He believes that to perform well, the athletes need adequate resources. He explained that athletics shoes (spikes) are expensive, costing Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 and last only 3-4 months during training. “If the government provides a little more support to athletes, even those from small villages could bring glory to India at the international levels,” he said.

Shakeel disclosed that ever since he began running, his dream has been to win a medal for India at the Olympics. His parents and elder brother have been extremely supportive in his journey. He dreams of performing well in the forthcoming Olympic Games, Asian Games and Asian Championships, reaching the podium and hoisting the Indian flag there.

His father, Zafaruddin disclosed that despite being a mechanic, he provided everything possible for Shakeel to excel in the sport. “Seeing Shakeel run, the family was confident that he would achieve great success,” he said while disclosing that his son has won eight medals at the National Championships and two at the Asian Championships.

Zafaruddin is currently into farming while his elder son helps with the household expenses by driving a car. The family sends the remaining money to Shakeel in Bhopal. The family believes that if the government helps, many Shakeels could emerge not only from Alwar but from other small villages across the country as well.

Zafaruddin disclosed that his son receives a grand welcome whenever he returns to Alwar after winning medals at the national and international level. Politicians have got pictures clicked with Shakeel but have not provided the required assistance to him.