Bangaon, the Little Finland of javelin throwers in Haryana, which is churning out champions

The person behind the spear revolution is a 39-year-old physical education teacher Hanuman Singh, also a resident of the village. Hanuman’s trainees in the last few years have bagged at least two dozen national javelin medals so far.

Abandoned farm

With the nearest stadium with a synthetic track in the district 65 kilometres away, he decided to set up his academy in an abandoned chicken farm in a village owned by a relative. It’s just an uneven patch of land, an open shed and a tiny room with javelins and other training equipment. There is no fancy equipment, gym or refreshments.

Even before the warmups, the trainees have to untie the buffaloes in the shed and free them into the fields to find space. “Din me gaushala, shaam mein training centre. (A cattle shed during the day and training centre in the evening),” joked a trainee while shooing away the buffaloes.

Deepika’s cousin returns after working in the family fields next to the training ground. Deepika is the U 16 national record holder. (Photo: Andrew Amsan)

Deepika, who bettered her own U-16 national mark at the Nationals with a throw of 49.31m (500g javelin), has the most important job in Hanuman’s set-up. Since she lives adjacent to the training patch, and she’s assigned the task of carrying a bucket of drinking water to the field and refilling it when required.

The humble arrangements are not an excuse to not win medals. “I don’t like giving excuses. My athletes train here and compete against the best in the country, who have access to top-class stadiums. We have basic javelins and no synthetic track but we work a lot. We train twice a day, seven days a week,” says coach Hanuman.

Painstaking progress

Hanuman, who won the bronze at last month’s All India Civil Services tournament, began coaching in his village in 2010. But it took time for his efforts to bear medals. The year 2017, according to him, was the turning point. In 2017, Jyoti bagged the U-20 gold with a meet record at the Junior Nationals while Poonam Rani bagged silvers at the senior Fed Cup, Open Nationals and Interstate Meet. “It was Poonam’s medal spree that ignited the spark. After that young girls started trickling in,” says Hanuman.

But getting into coach Hanuman’s academy is not easy. The selection and weeding process are rigorous. He prefers to keep a small batch so that each student gets enough attention. “I pick kids with some potential. But if they don’t put in the effort, I request them with folded hands to go home and concentrate on their studies. In studies, you don’t have to be an India topper to do well, but in sports, you don’t have a choice. You have to be the best in your country at least to make a future in sports,” says Hanuman.

He has one more condition. “No long hair,” says Hanuman, while quickly turning around to ensure the new trainee didn’t hear him “She doesn’t know about it so far. I will tell her slowly. Short hair helps in training better,” adds Hanuman, who sports an army cut himself.

Jyoti, an All India University Games silver medallist, chases away buffaloes off their training patch. (Photo: Andrew Amsan)

Hanuman’s eight-year-old son Varun, too, trains here. Unlike most parents, Hanuman requested Varun’s school management to go easy on him with the academics. “Mujhe jyada padhai nahi chahiye. (I don’t want him to focus entirely on his studies). Classes for the rest go on till 3 in the noon but I have struck a deal with them and they send my son by 1 pm so that he can join us for training on time,” he says.

For him, javelin is much more than a sport. The event helped him put his “wayward” life back on track. “If it wasn’t for javelin I would have been a petty criminal. I would have been behind bars for sure,” he says.

Reform road

After completing his 10th standard, Hanuman joined a Polytechnic course where he developed alcohol and cigarette addiction. He also joined a group of local small-time goons as a muscleman. “I can’t say too much now. I am a government employee now (laughs),” he says.

After his two-year course, Hanuman returned to his village and started accompanying his friends to the ground in a neighbouring village. That’s where he met javelin thrower Lincoln.

Coach Hanuman Singh with trainees at Bangaon in Fatehbad district of Haryana. (Photo: Andrew Amsan)

“That’s what everyone called him. I have no idea if that was his real name or not. I saw his practice and that was the first time I saw the javelin,” he says. It was almost love at first sight. “I started helping Lincoln retrieve the javelins, and in a few weeks, I started throwing better than him. I quit all my bad habits and focussed my energy on the javelin,” says Hanuman.

Although casually referred to as “Finland of Haryana”, Hanuman’s throwers’ second favourite is a German, Johannes Vetter. No prizes for guessing who their favourite is.

Sapna, who bagged the U16 Nationals bronze recently, is a Vetter fan. “I love his throwing style. He’s so powerful. His impulse stride (the last few steps before the block and throw) is also so good,” she says. Neeraj Chopra is without a doubt their favourite. “It would be a dream come true if he comes and watches us here at our village,” says Deepika.

10-year-old Meenakshi (right) is one of the youngest trainees under coach Hanuman Singh and Deepika, the U16 national record holder, trains at an abandoned poultry farm. (Photo: Andrew Amsan)

In the women’s circuit, Anu Rani is the best thrower by a mile. Since 2014, the Uttar Pradesh thrower has bettered her own national mark a staggering eight times. She has virtually won every national-level meet she has competed in. So the final query to the girls: “Do you know Annu Rani?” The first Indian woman to reach World Championship finals in javelin.

“Of course we do,” shoots back Deepika, before firming up her voice and adding: “We want to break her record.”