With hurdles bronze, Shourya underlines her potential

“She is transitioning from U-16s to U-18s, going from 80m to 100m hurdles,” mentioned her coach Ajit Kulkarni. “To get into the rhythm for 100m, you’ll want to prepare effectively and compete regularly. She ran simply two races earlier than going for this competitors.”

And but, Shourya will return with a bronze medal from the Asian age-group meet, clocking a private greatest timing of 13.80s to complete behind China’s Bao Yinyin (13.71) and He Yihui (13.76).

“It feels surreal. This was my first worldwide meet, and to come back again with a PB and a medal is such a proud second,” Shourya mentioned from Dammam.

In Patna final month in her first 100m hurdles look, she had clocked 14.55s. Within the intervening 4 weeks, the teenager not solely skilled for the Asian Championships but additionally caught up along with her Board exams.

“We skilled for a timing between 13.70-13.85, which is a large enchancment,” Kulkarni mentioned.

That enchancment is much more creditable given the challenges the teenager has to face to merely have the ability to prepare. Shourya is from Thane, a bustling district exterior Mumbai that flaunts fancy excessive rises however is bereft of a correct artificial athletics monitor. The Dadoji Konddev Stadium, which did have a monitor, now largely hosts cricket matches. Kulkarni runs his academy in a Thane membership however the 30m stretch for hurdles is useful sufficient just for some makeshift days.

And so, with no place to go within the neighborhood, Shourya and Kulkarni usually commute virtually 50km to Bandra in suburban Mumbai, or to Ghatkopar, and even 150km to the Balewadi Stadium in Pune, for day by day coaching periods.

“It’s undoubtedly robust, and takes quite a lot of self-discipline and time administration,” Shourya mentioned. “The day by day commute eats up quite a lot of time and power, however when you might have a dream, you make it work. Whether or not it’s travelling to Bandra and even Pune, I at all times remind myself of why I’m doing this.”

Athletics grew to become a part of her life since childhood. As just a little lady who was into music, dancing and skating, she was “happiest simply working round”. Shourya was enrolled within the academy of Kulkarni, who has coached a number of athletes from the state, and shortly bought drawn to hurdles. “It felt like greater than working; it was rhythm, method, difficult and I cherished it,” she mentioned.

“She’s been with me for 9 years,” Kulkarni mentioned. “She confirmed good expertise from that younger age. The way in which she ran, the strategy, the frequency, hand motion, and many others… all that was pure in her.”

So was an angle to work arduous and the spirit to struggle. Kulkarni recollects Shourya’s first hurdles race in a U-14 meet, the place she tripped, got here final and bruised her knee. The following day she was additionally supposed to participate in a 100m race. “She ran and got here second,” he mentioned.

A lot of that dedication and self-discipline comes from each of Shourya’s mother and father being within the police pressure (her father is DCP, Crime and mom is SP, Freeway Site visitors Thane).

“Watching them work so arduous each day has taught me what dedication actually means. Regardless of their demanding jobs, they’ve at all times made time for me — be it waking up early for coaching or travelling for competitions,” mentioned Shourya.

Final yr, Shourya was competing (and successful) in inter-school meets within the metropolis. Now, she is a U-18 Asian medallist. “Successful this medal undoubtedly provides me an enormous confidence enhance. It’s a reassurance that I’m on the correct path,” she mentioned.

Kulkarni concurs, with just a little caveat that this should be handled as only a begin. “I informed her you haven’t damaged the (U-18) nationwide or Asian file. You’ve gotten two years to do this,” he mentioned. “The promise is certainly there.”

Impressed by American 400m hurdles world file holder Sydney McLaughlin, the 15-year-old too has lofty goals. “This season, I need to preserve enhancing my occasions. In the long run, my dream is to characterize India on the Olympics and win a medal,” Shourya mentioned.