Haryana’s Kiran Pahal qualifies for Olympics

Tribune News Service

Indervir Grewal

Panchkula, June 27

Kiran Pahal choked up mid-sentence as her eyes welled up. Standing near the finish line as the floodlights started to come on, the tall Haryana athlete quickly wiped off the tears.

For a young athlete who had just qualified for the Olympics, Kiran had an understated demeanour. Her lips broke into a gentle smile every time she was reminded of her achievement.

The 23-year-old clocked 50.92 seconds in the semifinals of the National Inter-State Athletics Championships here to qualify for the Paris Olympics in the women’s 400 metres, the qualifying mark being 50.95 seconds. She is the first Indian to qualify for the Olympics in the women’s 400m since Nirmal Sheoran competed in the 2016 Games. Kiran also became only the second Indian woman to clock sub-51 seconds, finishing just outside Hima Das’s national record of 50.79 seconds.

Underneath the joy, though, there was a constant reminder of the hardships of an ordinary athlete in India. “The last couple of years have been tough,” said Kiran. “I have struggled with numerous injuries. Funding has been a major issue. I have been managing on my own but I am in desperate need of sponsors,” added Kiran, who belongs to Gumar village in Sonipat.

What finally broke Kiran’s resolve and led to the rare overflow of emotions was the memory of her father, who died two years ago after a prolonged illness. “My father died two years ago... It has been difficult for the family,” she said, wiping off the tears.

The death of her father, who was a munshi at a Tehsil court, has added extra burden of supporting her home maker mother and sister. Employed as a clerk in the Railways for the last three years, Kiran has been managing “just about”. “I was not able to compete much in the last two years because of the injuries and fund crunch,” said Kiran, who won gold in the National Inter-State Championships in 2022, with her fastest timing of 52.34 seconds coming in the semifinals.

Having returned to serious competition recently, Kiran was notably surprised by what she had achieved. “I am a little surprised but at the same time I know I have worked hard for it,” said Kiran, who has been training at a private academy in Rohtak for the last two years.

After being a part of the national camp for six years, Kiran left in 2022 because she felt she wasn’t getting the proper attention she needed. Since then, she has been training under former sprinter Ashish Singh Chhikara, who works with “eight serious trainees” at his centre. “I believe in athlete specific training programs. That is how I have trained Kiran, keeping in mind her body type, strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

“When she came to me, she was running above 52 seconds. I am happy that she has qualified for the Olympics but she could have done better. My target was 50 seconds flat. Now, we have to plan for the Olympics and hopefully she can do her best in Paris,” he added.

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