NEW DELHI: It was a script Gulveer Singh would not have dreamt of when he left for the Hachioji Long Distance 2024 athletics meet in Japan last week.
The long-distance Indian runner was elated when he got the news of the birth of his second child, a baby girl - in his village Sirsa in Western UP's Atrauli district - soon after setting a new national record in the men's 10,000m event at the Kamiyugi Park athletic stadium last Saturday.
Gulveer had just finished his race with a timing of 27:14:88s to win gold. Gulveer's record was almost 27 seconds better than his previous best of 27:41.81s, set earlier this year on March 16 at The TEN event in San Juan, USA.
Soon after the event, the 26-year-old made a phone call to his coach Ajith Markose in India to inform him about his accomplishment. What Gulveer heard from the other side made his effort on the track extra special and memorable.
"I have a four-year old son, and I was told I had been blessed with a baby girl. My family is complete. This is the best news I could have ever received. In Japan, I was competing and setting a new national record to win gold for India. And back home in India, my wife was giving birth to our second child. I couldn't have asked for more.
"I knew that the delivery date was approaching but didn't have a clue that it would happen on the same day of my competition. After receiving the news, I just wanted to be with my family. I am with them now, happy and excited," Gulveer told TOI.
Gulveer, who also holds the national record of 13:11.82s in the 5,000m, said he approaches every competition day as a normal outing for him.
"It's become a habit for me to enter competitions with the same mindset as I would on any usual day, allowing me to focus 100 percent. To ensure I am fully prepared, I treat competition days like any other day. My coach has always emphasised the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, and I have made it a point to follow this approach," said Gulveer, who is supported by Reliance Foundation.
Gulveer, who won bronze in the 10,000m race at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, said his training stint in the USA has helped him immensely. "I was fortunate to have some great training partners, including Paul Chelimo - 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallist and 2020 Tokyo Games bronze winner in 5,000m. I believe consistent coaching and training have had a huge impact on my performance," he added.
