India’s distance runner Gulveer Singh etched his name in history at the Asian Games by securing a rare triple-medal haul. Despite claiming three track medals, the 27-year-old expressed disappointment at missing the top spot and hearing the national anthem. (41 words)
Indian middle and long-distance runner Gulveer Singh made history at the Asian Games by capturing a remarkable triple-medal haul, becoming the first Indian athlete in four decades to achieve such a feat at a single edition of the continental showpiece. Yet, despite his extraordinary achievements on the track, the 27-year-old admitted feeling an undeniable sense of discontent, as his ultimate ambition of standing atop the podium and hearing the Indian National Anthem echo across the stadium remained unfulfilled.
Gulveer capped off his taxing schedule at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Tuesday by taking bronze in the men’s 5000m final. Crossing the line with a time of 13:32.75, he finished just behind Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who took gold in 13:30.79, and Japan’s Yamaguchi Tomonori, who took silver in 13:31.43. The hard-fought bronze added to the two silver medals Gulveer had previously secured in the 10,000m and 1500m events.
Speaking to the broadcaster after the race, Gulveer candidly shared his mixed emotions: “One thing is that I am not satisfied because I had come here thinking that my national anthem would be played. My only dream was to stand on the podium and have the National Anthem played. That did not happen. We will see next time and come back after working even harder.”
Gulveer’s campaign had begun with a gritty run in the men’s 10,000m, where he clocked 28:29.38 to clinch silver, once again trailing Balew. The result established another milestone, making him the first Indian male athlete to claim two Asian Games medals in the 10,000m distance, following his bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. He followed that up with a sparkling silver in the men’s 1500m, stopping the clock at a personal best of 3:36.72, narrowly edged out by Japan’s Kazuto Iizawa, who took gold in a games record time of 3:36.35.
Reflecting on his historic run, Gulveer credited his physical resilience to elite preparation and consistent support from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), including high-altitude training stints in the United States. “It turned out to be good because of the way we trained and came here. We had good weather for training, good support and a good coach,” he explained, recounting how the federation arranged his stints abroad to optimize his recovery and race form.
Coming from an Indian Army background, Gulveer revealed that his athletic career began pragmatically as preparation for military physical recruitment rather than childhood aspirations of international glory. However, structured military physical culture and institutional backing unlocked his endurance talent.
| Also Read: IGPL partners with Special Olympics Bharat for inclusive Indian golf |
Rather than resting on his laurels, the distance star insisted his eyes are fixed firmly on future progress. “What happened today is over, so leave it. Now we will think about what to do next. We have to keep climbing the steps,” he said, before urging young athletes to strictly maintain nutritional discipline and listen closely to coaches. With three medals heading home, Gulveer acknowledged his deepest pride lies in the joy brought to his family, coaches, and sports science team who stood behind every lap.
