Chennai: In search of medals, India failed to acknowledge a hero in Rio. Race walker Manish Rawat, 25, finished 13th in the 20km category in a high-quality field. He was less than a minute off the pace set by the bronze medal winner. Rawat’s achievement was splendid, given the hurdles he had to overcome at every step of his life.
The intrepid athlete, who works as a waiter at a small restaurant in the religious town of Badrinath, wakes up at 4 am every day to hit the road. Walking is a gruelling sport which punishes rule infractions ruthlessly. One of the feet must be on the ground all the time and three violations will result in disqualification.
Rawat pursued his Olympic dream with utmost devotion, not put off by a stream of naysayers at Badrinath. Without realising that the humble man was on his way to taking part in the greatest show on earth, many people used to make fun of his walking practice. Walking is ungainly and painful. Those who pursue the sport must be rock-solid in body and mind.
Barbs could never distract the landless agricultural labourer from a small village in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. That Rawat, who had to make do with training facilities that bore no resemblance to modern methods, finished 13th was a victory in itself.
According to India coach Alexander Artsybashev, the country has the potential to become a world leader in race walking. Top countries at the Olympics burn a few million dollars to produce one champion. India, too, have champions in the making but they languish in wilderness, fighting an unenviable battle against the odds, all the time.
