“I am feeling very happy after qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I came into this tournament with the aim of qualifying for the event. I have worked very hard for achieving this. My coach helped me in my training” These were the words of ecstatic Avinash Sable who broke his national record in a span of one year, clocking 8:21.37 seconds to breach the Tokyo Olympics qualifying time of 8:22.00. Avinash Sable has Sable has become the first from India after 1952 to qualify for the Olympics in this event.
The son of a farmer from Mandva village in the drought-prone district of Beed in Maharashtra first came into national scenario when he broke the second oldest Indian athletics record of 8:30.88 seconds, set by Gopal Saini in the 1981, clocking 8:29.80 seconds at the Open Nationals at Bhubaneswar in 2018.
After a stint in the Army and facing extreme conditions in places like Siachen where the temperature goes below -50 degrees Celsius and a village in Rajasthan where it uprises above 50, sports has seeped in while fluctuating between these extremes. But like every Armyman he has braved every hurdle in his run.
For a man who has broken his own national record four times and more than improved 27 seconds since the Inter-State meet in Guwahati last year where he clocked 8.49.25, it is very possible that this man can return with Gold from Tokyo next year
Yes, a true home grown product who until 2016 had no idea that he would be a steeplechase athlete. I saw the 3000m Steeplechase event in the 2019 IAAF World Championship Doha. While he stood way far from the Ethiopians and the Kenyans what mattered was he finished the race clocking his personal best and his aim of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics came true. But India still has a long way to grab an Olympic medal in athletics.
Indian runners are going places now! Indian athletics has some very inspiring home grown talents. All these athletes come from disadvantaged sections and fight against all odds and systems and make it big. Makes you proud Indian when we such people succeeding.
Such people inspire others to fight it out and strive to reach where they want to be!
KUDOS Avinash! Look forward to your performance at Tokyo!
It’s a great achievement to get qualified for Tokyo 2020. The 3000m Steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics in which athletes have to cross 28 barriers and 7 water jumps.
In this video Avinash Sable won Gold in the 3000m Steeplechase in the 59th National Interstate Senior Athletic Championship 2019 held in Lucknow in August.
He is a man of all seasons. Avinash Sable has braved extreme weather like very few have. He has been on duty in places where the temperature is -30 degree centigrade in Siachen as well as he was posted in Rajasthan were temperature soars up to 50 degree centigrade. Interesting fact: He used to walk 12 kilometres just to get to school and back is the distance Avinash Sable covered when he was in Class I.
