Sports

KIYG 2023: Durga Singh, the daughter of a Bihar farmer, breaks records with a 1500-meter gold run.

By - 25 Jan 2024 05:55 PM

When Durga Singh was a young girl, she was a sports enthusiast and used to run in the large open areas surrounding the fields in her isolated village of Belwa Thakurai in the Gopalganj district of Bihar. The only person who supported Durga in a community with little history of sports was her wheat farmer father Shambhu Sharan Singh. "I've encountered numerous difficulties. With the exception of my father, who would always tell me to "go wherever you want to, do whatever you want to," no one in my family was particularly athletic. Only he supported me, which is why I am here," an elated Durga said after shattering the 1500m Games record with a timing of 4 minutes 29.22 seconds at the 6th Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai on.At the 38th Junior National Athletics Championship in Coimbatore last year, the Class X student won the gold medal in the 1500 meters with a time of 4 minutes, 38.29 seconds.

As a young girl, Durga, the fourth of five siblings, played football and kabaddi, but her idols were runners. She had printed and framed photos of PT Usha and Usain Bolt in her room because she was such a fan of them.

Early on, at least at her school, her talent was recognized. "I would go to matches with senior students. People would battle for my inclusion on their team.In local meets, medals would come in large quantities. However, she was unaware of their worth at the moment. "I would take home the medal, throw it aside, and place first or second. Since no one at home appreciated my accomplishments back then, I wouldn't give it much thought. When relatives returned home, they would be shocked to see the medals just lying around."

The 17-year-old's talent began to be recognized more and more over time. She went to train under coach Rakesh Singh at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, and she hasn't looked back since. After that, her perspective on medals also shifted.

"I then realized the reputation winning medals can help you establish for yourself. I grew more