(Sports News) Akshdeep Singh from Punjab has rewritten his national record in the 20km race walk, clocking one hour, 19 minutes, and 38 seconds to surpass his previous mark of 1:19.55. Having already qualified for the Paris Olympics at last year’s National Open Race Walk Championships in Ranchi, Akshdeep’s achievement marked a special day for Indian race walkers.

During the 11th National Open Race Walking Championship, three more walkers met the qualifying standard for this year’s Olympics. Suraj Panwar from Uttarakhand (1:19:44s), Servin Sebastian from Tamil Nadu (1:20:03s), and Arshpreet Singh from Punjab (1:20:04s) all surpassed the qualifying mark of 1:20:10s.

At the finish line, Suraj embraced Akshdeep before the group engaged in a lengthy conversation. Akshdeep expressed his joy, stating, “Each one of us feels the joy in each other’s success, and to see Suraj, Servin, and Arshpreet achieving the Paris Olympics standard here today motivates me too. The 20km race walk is a tactical event, and I am glad that I was right with my tactics today to better my national record mark.”

In total, six race walkers have now met the qualifying standard for the Paris Olympics. Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Malik also secured eligibility at the All Japan Race Walking Championship in 2023.

Akshdeep, a native of Kanhe Ka village and the son of a farmer, started his athletic journey by participating in 800-meter races after witnessing fellow villagers train for army recruitment rallies. His visit to Patiala led him to train under Gurdev Singh, coach of London Olympics 10th-place finisher KT Irfan, and he subsequently became the junior national record holder. After achieving Paris qualification in Ranchi last year, Akshdeep followed it with a 12th-place finish in the Asian Championships in Japan but faced challenges, finishing 47th in the World Championships in Budapest due to a knee injury.

Suraj, the second-place finisher, hails from Dehradun and began with long-distance races. Winning a silver medal in the men’s 5,000m race walk in the Youth Olympics in Argentina in 2018, Suraj progressed to the senior level, claiming silver at the National Games in 2022 and securing the top podium position in the next edition in Goa.

While Selvin and Arshpreet are army personnel training in Pune, the other four are part of the national camp. Only the top three, based on form, will make the cut for the Paris Olympics. The national camp, coached by foreign coach Tatiana Sibileva, focuses on improving the walkers’ technique to ensure adherence to the rules, such as having one foot in contact with the ground at all times and maintaining a straight supporting leg.

The emphasis is on refining hip and arm movements for better balance, with the goal of avoiding disqualification, even for top-ranked walkers, as seen in instances like the world championship in Hungary where Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Massimo Stano was disqualified. Akshdeep and Suraj highlight the importance of continuous improvement and focus on technique in their training.

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