Lucky phone note, Gurindervir Singh hits sub-10 mark |: More sports news:
NEW DELHI: A carefully preserved Rs 500 note, tucked into the back cover of his mobile phone, accompanies every step of sprinter Gurindervir Singh’s extraordinary journey. The folded note, which the national record holder calls his “lucky charm”, is a reminder of his struggling days – he struggled to fund his training and once did not have enough money to pay the toll fee while traveling for practice in Punjab.“Someone helped me when I needed it the most. That note has stayed with me ever since,” said Gurindervir, refusing to reveal the whole story. “The complete story for my biopic.”Now, the 25-year-old Indian Navy sprinter has a bigger story to tell. At the Federation Cup in Ranchi late last month, Gurindervir became the first Indian to break the 10.10-second barrier in the men’s 100m, clocking a national record of 10.09 seconds. Success is just a milestone, he believes.“My target is not to stop at 10.09. If I stay consistent, continue to train well, recover properly and follow the process, I believe that a sub-10 run is possible in future competitions,” said Gurindervir confidently.Under coach James Hillier of the Reliance Foundation, Gurindervir changed his training and his mindset. Every aspect of his preparation – strength, speed, movement, recovery, diet and execution of the race – is carefully planned. “Earlier I had to manage everything alone. Now I have support from coaches, physiotherapists and nutritionists. We plan each phase of training, from strength to speed, and the results have followed,” he said.With a European training stint in Spala, Poland starting in July and big targets including the upcoming Commonwealth Games and: Asian GamesGurindervir’s next target is clear. “I have broken the 10.10 barrier. Now, I am chasing something bigger – becoming the first Indian to run under 10s,” he said.An important reason behind Gurindervir’s collapse was a deeper understanding of his race structure. “My start is always good, but earlier I struggled to maintain my speed in the last 30 meters. This year, we worked hard to improve my acceleration, race angle, block exit and foot strike.His favorite exercises at the gym are the squat and hang clean. He lifted 220kg in the half squat and 145kg in the hang clean — figures that highlight the sheer drive of India’s fastest sprinter. “I maintain a body fat percentage of around 6 to 7% during training before lowering it to 5 to 6% in competitions,” he added.The road to success, however, was not smooth. Between 2021 and 2023, Gurindervir battled severe gut-related health issues due to poor diet and contaminated water during his time at a sports hostel in Punjab. Limited finances meant he often survived on meatless chicken sauce after training sessions.“We don’t always get proper food. Sometimes we have gravy in our meals. Sometimes even that is not available. The drinking water is not good and all these factors eventually damaged my health,” he said.The condition worsened to the point that he lost nearly 12 kilos in more than a week and he had difficulty absorbing nutrients. His sprinting career seems to be in jeopardy. Medical treatment, a structured nutrition plan and scientific support under Hillier helped him rebuild his body and come back stronger.Equally important is his mental evolution. Gurindervir admits that a year ago, the sudden fame and media attention always overwhelmed him. “If you had met Gurindervir last year, he would have been stressed. I always think about interviews and expectations. My coach helped me understand how to manage attention and stay focused on performance. Now I don’t accept unnecessary pressure. I’m a stress-free person,” he said.His rival in fellow sprinter Animesh Kujur has added a new dimension to Indian sprinting. The pair traded national records three times in 24 hours before Gurindervir prevailed with his 10.09 seconds run.“Off the track we’re friends and mostly roommates. On the track, we’re rivals. It’s a healthy competition because we push each other to improve.”Despite the growing recognition, Gurindervir’s sacrifices continued. He didn’t return home for over a year, determined to achieve bigger goals before celebrating. “My family kept asking me to come home. I told them I wasn’t going back empty-handed. I wanted to bring something special back.”
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