Pranav Pramod Gurav: From doing ‘donkey work' to winning 100m gold at Federation Cup
Animesh Kujur, the National Games gold medalist, running in Lane 4 kept an eye out for Manikanta Hoblidhar, the former national record holder in Lane 3 in the 100 metres final. Manikanta had broken the meet record in the semifinals to make a statement. Yet, from Lane 2 emerged the surprise winner, Pranav Pramod Gurav.
'I did not see Pranav in my view, I saw only Manikanta,' Animesh said after the race comprising the crème de la crème of men's sprinting stars, including national record holder Gurindervir Singh. Gurindervir looked in discomfort during the final and finished sixth (11.21s) in humid conditions. By the 70 metre mark it seemed like a two horse-race between Animesh and Manikanta before Pranav shot through like a bolt at the finish line to clock 10:27 seconds and win gold. Animesh finished second (10.32s) and Manikanta was third (10.35s).
It was a red-letter day for 23-year-old Pranav as he won his first-ever gold medal at a senior national competition. The little-known sprinter attracted attention when he raised his hands skyward and shouted 'Jai Shivaji' three times after winning the race. Pranav clarified he wasn't trying to make a political statement nor was he trying to be casteist. 'Shivaji and Sambhaji… when I take their names I get goosebumps. I get very motivated. That is all,' Pranav said.
He was emotional too because his 84-year-old grandfather Hari Gurav, who he is very attached to, is admitted in the ICU because of high creatinine levels.
'He was admitted after I ran in Chennai (Indian Open). I was tense. For him, I have run this race and I am hoping he will be fine soon,' Pranav said.
Missing out on a gold medal has more or less been the story of Pranav's career. At the National Games in February he was second to Animesh, just one of the many instances when he missed out.
'It has been worth it (wait to win a gold). For all these years I didn't give up. I had lots of ups and downs,' Pranav said.
Hailing from Daund, 80 kilometres away from Pune, Pranav started training with a qualified coach, Aravind Sawant, only when he turned 18. But the challenge was to find a balance between training to become a sprinter and studying for engineering.
Today he is a national gold medalist and a civil engineer.
'I would travel for about eight hours every day to the AISSMS College of Engineering. I would also train at the same time in Pune. It took time for me to find a balance between studying and training. Professors used to advise me that if you want to be a good engineering student you can't miss class. I used to practice till about 11 am before going to college. But later, I convinced the college to allow me 50 percent attendance,' Pranav said.
His parents Pramod and Suvarna were keen that he focussed on getting an engineering degree but after he won an Under-23 silver they too realised he had potential as an athlete.
Prior to coming under the wings of coach Sawant, Pranav says he did only 'donkey work' or training without a proper system in place.
'I didn't know what 100m or 200m was. For two to three years I begged school teachers in Daund to let me run the 100 metres. One day I got an opportunity at the Taluka level. I ran without spikes. Back then I would do 'donkey work' like hill running or running up steps but there was no focus.'
Pranav expected a tough final on Monday and said he didn't expect to win the race because of the great form of his competitors. He aimed to improve his personal best, knowing he would have to really push himself to the limit in the high-quality field.
'Everybody was performing well. I was expecting someone to run a 10.10s, Gurvindervir, Animesh and Manikanta are doing really well. I didn't expect to win the race. I want to thank my coach for helping me win this medal.'
Though he works for the Central Railway, Pranav is hoping to get a sponsor. 'My father still gives me funds,' he said. He believes his first place finish is not a flash in the pan. 'I know I can run faster if I get the right support.'
The heats, semis and final were all held on Day 1 in humid conditions else the national record (10.20s) could have been lowered, the top sprinters believed. Manikanta is confident that it is just a matter of time before the mark is shattered again. 'It could happen at the Asian Athletics Championships in May,' Manikanta said.
As for Pranav, he has his big target dangling across his chest – an Olympic rings pendant.'Qualifying for the Olympics is my big dream. I will do my best to reach my goals.'
Results (Day 1 Finals)
Men: 100m (Asian Qualifying time 10.25 seconds): Pranav Pramod (Railway Sports) 10.27 seconds, Animesh Kujur (Odisha) 10.32 seconds, Manikanta Hoblidhar (Army) 10.35 seconds;1500m (Asian Q time 3:42.30); Yoonus Shah (JSW) 3:41.93 seconds, Ajay Kumar Saroj (Uttar Pradesh) 3:42.64, Narender Singh (Haryana) 3:42.77; 10,000m (Asian Q Time 29:33.26): Sawan Barwal (Army) 28:57.13 (meet record. Previous 28:57.90 set in 2007 by Surendra Singh in Kolkata), Abhishek Pal (Railway Sports) 29:14.86, Kiran Matre (Army) 29:47.62; Javelin throw (AQ Time 75.36m): Sachin Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 83.86m, Yashvir Singh (Railway Sports) 80.85m, Sahil Silwal (Reliance) 77.84m
Women: 100m (Asian Q time 11.46 seconds): Nithya Gandhe (Telangana) 11.50, Abinaya Rajarajan (Tamil Nadu) 11.54 seconds, Sneha SS (Karnataka) 11.62 seconds; 1500m (Asian Q Time 4:15.00): Lili Das (Uttarakhand) 4:10.88 seconds, Pooja (Haryana) 4:12.56 secs, Kajal R (Gujarat) 4:20.67 secs; 10,000m (Asian Q Time 33:24.79): Sanjivani Jadav (Maharashtra) 33:44.43, Seema (Himachal Pradesh) 34:55.92, Beby (Uttar Pradesh) 34:59.67; Pole vault (Asian Q mark 4.10m): Pavithra Venkatesh (Tamil Nadu) 4.00m, Baranica Elangovan (Tamil Nadu) 4.00m, Vanshika Ghanghas (Haryana) 3.90m.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Meghalaya unveils ‘Mission Clean Shillong '27' ahead of Nat'l Games
1 2 Shillong: With Meghalaya to host the next National Games, the state govt has launched an ambitious new campaign — Mission Clean Shillong 2027 — aimed at transforming the state capital into one of India's cleanest cities. The two-year initiative, spearheaded by CM Conrad K Sangma, calls for collective action to achieve 'litter-free streets, pristine waters, and pure air'. The timing of the campaign is crucial, as Shillong is set to host thousands of athletes and tourists for the National Games. "We have the cleanest river and the cleanest village, why not the cleanest cities too?" the CM asked, framing the mission as a natural extension of Meghalaya's legacy of environmental stewardship. "A community-first approach unlike previous top-down programmes, the campaign emphasises participatory governance. Localities will lead monthly clean-up drives, receive incentives for waste segregation, and compete for the 'Cleanest Locality' title," an official statement said. The draft campaign document is open to public feedback until June 25. Citizens, civil society organizations, and local leaders have been invited to contribute suggestions via email, phone, or by visiting the Shillong Municipal Board office. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Suruchi Phogat sticks to her simple formula to stay world class
With three gold medals and a bronze in the four events that she competed in the last two World Cups in Buenos Aires and Lima, Suruchi Phogat is easily the golden girl of Indian shooting at the moment. As the Indian team was getting ready to leave for the World Cup in Munich, Germany, and at the launch of the logo of the Shooting League of India (SLI) at the Dr. Karni Singh Range in Tughlakabad, Suruchi said that she would continue to aim to be at her best, and not worry about the scores. Cheerful and soft spoken, but with a clear mind, the 19-year-old revealed that she does not try hard to shoot better scores but does everything possible to shoot at her best in every event she competes. 'From the national trials, National championships, National Games, to the trials again, and now in World Cups, the advice by coach Suresh Singh has worked very well for me. I believe that the better scores would happen along the way, if I stick to the right process,' said Suruchi, at ease in keeping things simple. She did recall the advice by seasoned shooter Jitu Rai, who is now with the Indian team as coach, about a few finer points that has helped her be at her best, her normal self, in international competitions. 'I am happy to have won three gold medals so far. I want to win medals in Munich. The World champonships later in the season, is bigger and then there is the Asian Championship also. I also want to do well in the World Cup Finals, as my name has already been confirmed,' said Suruchi, quite pleased to be adding to her international exposure. Every shooter would love to know the secrets of Suruchi to be so remarkably consistent in the international arena, and her younger brother Nishant is no exception. 'He also shoots air pistol. He shoots 580 in practice. He does want to know what I do to win all these gold medals. I just tell him that when he gets to that level, it would happen on its own for him also,' said Suruchi. A first year student of B.A., Suruchi plans to move to the Chandigarh University for the great support it extends to sportspersons. 'I want to compete in the World University championships,' said Suruchi, content to stick to the air pistol, and not venture into the world of 25-metre sports pistol. 'There is so much to learn and achieve in air pistol. I want to stay focused on it, without complicating matters with another event, for now,' she added. If simplicity in character, manner and style is the supreme excellence, the cheerful Suruchi is a classic example. Her beaming face with the charming smile is bound to be seen more often as Suruchi steps out to show her prowess in the international arena.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Srabani shines with relay silver on intl comeback
Srabani Nanda made a comeback to the national team for the Asian Athletics Championships after almost three years having last competed for India in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. There she competed in the 4x100m women's relay but the quartet of Nanda, Hima Das, Dutee Chand and Jyothi Yarraji narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in the final with a timing of 43.81 seconds. It was a tough loss but the veteran sprinter turned back the clock on Saturday evening in Gumi, South Korea, to bag a silver medal in the same event with a timing of 43.86 seconds in the Asian meet. Nanda ran the opening leg and was followed by Shena SS. 18-year-old Abhinaya Rajarajan then ran a blistering third leg while Nithya Gandhe was the anchor and crossed the finish line just behind China, who grabbed the gold with a timing of 43.28 seconds. Thailand grabbed the bronze medal. The Odisha sprinter, who was quite disappointed with her performance during the Indian Open in Ranchi earlier this year, was expectedly over the moon on Saturday as she won her third Asian Athletics medal. Speaking to TOI from Gumi, Nanda said, "I am very grateful. It's really nice and it's a happy and proud moment for me. In relay, it is all about teamwork and I want to thank all the team members for the support and the coordination so that we could deliver this result." The 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, meanwhile, was more than pleased with their baton exchanges, especially as the Indian men's 4x100m relay team were disqualified in the heats on Friday as an exchange was made outside the zone, and it was on everybody's mind. But the women's team did it to perfection. "In relay, the plan is always to get the best exchanges and be confident to do it well. And we were able to do it," added Nanda. "Overall it was a very calm, cool and good race." While her experience obviously played a huge role, the one-month training camp in Trivandrum after the Federation Cup under coach Seenivasan Ramaiah also made a big difference as they concentrated a lot on baton exchange, besides other key aspects of the race. "We could find out where we were lacking and we could work on it to get the best result. We also got great support from all the other athletes who gave us a lot of competition during the training," said the 200m former national champion before adding, "The plan was always to deliver the best and be confident and I think we kind of did it. But there is still so much room to get better." There's certainly no end to that but for now they can be happy with what they have achieved on the continental stage.
