Athlete Roger overcomes financial strains to win silver

Ahmedabad: Two months ago, when middle-distance runner Roger Rathod packed his bags for Jhunjhunu in northern Rajasthan, he had little inkling of the future that lay ahead of him. Financial constraints at home had meant Roger’s training in the city was confined to running at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Navrangpura and the Riverfront stretch.

That’s when Roger’s father, Rajesh Rathod, an ex-athlete who used to ply an auto-rickshaw to make ends meet, got in touch with Amit Bhattacharya, a mentor to endurance athletes at the Ahmedabad Distance Runners (ADR), a registered group comprising middle-and long-distance runners. Bhattacharya’s team had helped Rathod’s family with groceries and other supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

The assistance proved to be a blessing in disguise as Rajesh approached Bhattacharya with a request to help his son with formal training. Two donors chipped in, and Roger was sent for training to the Shri Shyam Sports Club hostel in Jhunjhunu under coach Surender Khiladi’s tutelage. And, the result is there to see. At the recently concluded Gujarat State Senior Athletics Meet in Nadiad, Roger bagged a silver medal in 1,500m by crossing the finishing line in 4:26 behind Niraj Yadav, who claimed the gold in 4:21. The bronze was won by Lalit Kumar with a timing of 4:32.

On his silver-medal-winning feat, his coach Surender Khiladi told TOI, “Roger’s discipline and willpower helped him achieve this result. When Amitji sent him to me, Roger had a good timing. The fact that he was dedicated helped him get this result soon. We have to work even harder for better results at the nationals.”

Roger reflected on his result with happiness. “I’m happy to win the silver medal. But, my aim is to qualify for the Asian Games either by winning the medal at the Nationals or by achieving the timing at the qualification trial,” the 20-year-old said.

Bhattacharya stated they decided to help Roger when his father approached him seeking help for training. “A decision was taken to send him to Surender in Rajasthan. Once the coach said he is talented and within two months results can be achieved, I and my friends decided to continue his training over there,” said Bhattacharya.