Asian Games 2014: Khushbir Kaur’s giant step

A decade on, she still doesn’t like it. But she runs only because her mum wanted her to. On a breezy, overcast Sunday morning, as Khushbir zigzagged through the empty streets of the Songdo business district, it was motivation enough for the 21-year-old to aim for the podium.

“I did it only for my mother’s happiness. I was the first girl from my village to take up the sport,” she says. On Sunday, Khushbir became the first woman from the country to win a race-walking medal at the Asian Games, clinching the silver medal in the women’s 20km run. And she did so by bettering the national record, which was set by her earlier this year. Khushbir clocked 1.33.07 seconds to take the second spot behind China’s Lu Xiuzhi (1:21.52), who led from the start, and ahead of Jeon Yeonguen (1:33.18).

Khushbir was cautioned twice during the race for lifting her legs simultaneously while walking, but she carried on undeterred. “I was leading the field when they cautioned me and was pushed to second place. I got cautioned again between 16 and 18kms and was pushed to third place. By the time I decided to go for the gold, it was too late,” she says. Like most Indian athletes, Khushbir too comes from a family that has had to strive to meet two ends.

Her father, Balkar Singh, died owing to a cardiac arrest when she was just seven. He was the family’s only bread winner and consequently, her mother was forced to pick up menial jobs to keep the family of five running. “My mother didn’t have a job. So to ensure that we did not have to suffer, she took up small time jobs and worked at other people’s houses. She has sacrificed a lot to help me get where I am today,” says Khushbir, who is supported by Anglian Medal Hunt.

Khushbir, regarded as a prodigious talent who has set national record four times in the last three years, began race-walking in 2003 when she was taken aboard former Asian race walking champion Baldev Singh. Her rise ever since has been rapid. She dominated the junior domestic circuit and in 2010, won a silver at the Asian Junior Championships. The following year, she was included in the national camp under specialist coach Alexander Artsybashev.

The Russian has been credited for triggering a revolution of sorts in Indian race walking, with the country’s athlete’s steadily made their presence felt at the continental level. Gurmeet Singh and Khushbir won bronze in the 20km men’s and women’s events respectively at the Asian Race Walking Championship in March this year.

Khushbir’s effort was described by Artsybashev as one of the ‘high points’ of his tenure in India. “He has done a really good job with us. (KT) Irfan did really well at the Olympics and even I have set national records four times. I missed out on an Olympic berth due to lack of experience. All the credit goes to Alexander for this performance of ours,” Khushbir says.

Three win bronze

Meanwhile, quartermilers MR Poovamma and Rajiv Arokia and hammer thrower Manju Bala clinched bronze in their respective events. Poovamma made up for a slow start to get into medal contention on the back straight before settling for the bronze in 52.36, well below her personal best of 51.73 clocked in Lucknow during the National Inter-State Meet in June.

While hers was expected, Rajiv, the army runner whose father drives school buses for a living, clocked a personal best time of 45.92 (his previous best being 46.13) and held off Japan’s Yuzo Kanemaru’s challenge for the bronze medal.

Manju added third bronze, after she finished third in the women’s hammer throw with a best heave of 60.47m, which she did in her opening attempt. Her throws were behind gold medallist Zhang Wenxiu (77.33m, Games Record) and her compatriot Wang Zheng (74.16m).