I am only 10 seconds away from world’s best — Sunita

Recalls Sunita, “I felt like a stranger at Seville, everyone was so much better. I wanted to be like them, learn how they manage. The Kenyan coach was very helpful. He advised me to concentrate on building up my endurance and speed.”

He also told her that Indians were ill-prepared to take on world class athletes, straightaway pitting them against the stars. Sunita’s story began in the small town of Sunam in Sangrur district in Punjab, where she was a student of theGovernment Girls Senior Secondary School. Though her brother Surinder Kumar was a weightlifter, Sunita, one of five daughters, could never have thought of athletics seriously. Then she was inspired by the tales of the local heroine — middle distance runner at the state level, Goldie Rani. Goldie was senior to Sunita in school. Sunita followed Goldie not only in school but in athletics too. She took part in her first race in 1994, finishing second to Goldie in one and winning another. She was hooked on and seeing her interest and potential, her brother took her under his wings to build up her stamina.

“He would really make me run,” says Sunita. “Every morning, he would get out on his scooter, exhorting to put in that extra effort.”

Sunita ran her first major race in 1995 in Federation Cup and won a gold medal too. Coach Baldev Singh noticed her potential and invited her to join a camp in Patiala. She spent 20 fruitful days there, learning techniques and the rudiments of competitive running.

Buttragedy struck the coach as he was among those travelling in a train that met with an accident at Faizabad in 1995.

She now trains under Renu Kohli. Says Sunita: “Renu encourages me to look beyond merely representing the country at minor meets.”

A practical Sunita realises that her chances of winning medals in more than one event is well nigh impossible. “I will be competing in 1,500 metres only. I will run the 5,000 metres and 800m and 400 m for endurance and speed in minor meets. In 1500, I have done 4.08 mins to win a medal at the world level. You need to be able to do 3.58-3.59. I can work on and close out the nine to ten second gap,” she explains.

Right now though, a very tired Sunita says she does not want to run in the Mumbai circuit meet, but may not have a choice. “I have taken part in five circuit meets in England in August, followed by Seville, the Lucknow meet and now Kathmandu.”

Incidentally, Sunita was pretty upset with the Indian management. She had to run two finals — 10,000 and1,500 — the same day in Kathmandu. “They didn’t let us know the change of dates and were basically unaware. After all they are not the ones doing the running.”