National, September 25: Gulveer Singh won silver for India in the men’s 10,000m at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday, clocking 28:29.38.
Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew took gold in 28:27.51. The medal is Gulveer’s second in the event at the Asian Games, after the bronze he won at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Gulveer ran with the lead group for most of the race and waited for the closing stages before making his move. He held on for second.
“It feels good to win a silver medal for India at the Asian Games. Standing on the podium at a championship like this is satisfying,” he said. “We had prepared for a championship race rather than focusing on timing, and I was able to stick to the race plan. This medal is encouraging, but I know there is still a long way to go and many more races ahead.”
Racing to a plan, not the clock
He said the aim was to stay relaxed and not get drawn into a race against the clock.
“Championship races are always different from races where you’re chasing time. The plan was to stay relaxed, remain with the lead group, and make my move at the right moment. I trusted the race plan my coach and I had discussed, stayed patient throughout, and thankfully it worked out.”
Support behind the medal
Gulveer trains with the backing of the Athletics Federation of India and the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS).
“Every year my aim is simply to improve a little more. I don’t think too much about results because they come only if the preparation is good,” he said. “Winning a medal is a nice result. But for me, the important thing is that the progress is continuing.”
“I’m fortunate to have the support of the Athletics Federation of India and the Inspire Institute of Sport. They’ve created an environment where I can focus completely on training and recovery. My coaches help me keep improving in the small details that make a difference. I’ll keep working in the same way and look to get better.”
He also credited the wider team around him. “At this level, it’s often the small things that make the biggest difference. Having the right people around you, from coaches to physiotherapists, strength and conditioning experts and recovery staff, allows you to focus completely on your training. When those details are taken care of consistently, it helps you perform better on race day.”
The silver added another podium finish for India in athletics at the Games. Read more from Aichi-Nagoya: Kamaljeet and Suruchi win shooting gold as India reach both kabaddi finals.
