Gurmeet Singh facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Born | 1 July 1985 Uttrakhand |
| Residence | Jharkhand, India |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | 20 kilometres race walk |
Gurmeet Singh (born on July 1, 1985, in Uttarakhand, India) is a talented Indian athlete. He is best known for competing in the 20 kilometres race walk event. This is a sport where athletes walk as fast as they can, but must always keep one foot on the ground.
Gurmeet holds the current Indian record for the 20 km race walk. He set this amazing record in May 2011 at the Indian Grand Prix I in Patiala. His skills helped him become one of only three Indian athletes to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 20 km race walk. He earned his spot at the 18th Dublin International Grand Prix in Ireland. There, he finished sixth with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 5 seconds. At the Olympics, he finished 33rd with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes, and 34 seconds. Gurmeet is supported by the Mittal Champions Trust, which is an organization started by the famous steel businessman Lakshmi N. Mittal.
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Gurmeet Singh: India's Race Walking Star
Gurmeet Singh was born in a small village in the state of Uttarakhand. He found his passion for athletics thanks to his cousin, Surjit Singh. Surjit was a discus thrower, and he inspired Gurmeet to choose a career in sports.
Early Life and Training
Gurmeet started his journey in athletics at a young age. In 2000, he won a silver medal at the national junior championships. The following year, in 2001, he competed in the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Brunei, where he finished fifth.
His career took a big step forward in late 2010. This is when he began training at the Sports Authority of India center in Bangalore. He trained under the guidance of coach Ramakrishnan Gandhi. This training helped him improve his performance significantly.
Major Achievements
In March 2012, Gurmeet showed his growing strength. He walked a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 31 seconds at the Asian Championships in Nomi, Japan.
A major highlight of his career came in March 2016. Gurmeet won a gold medal at the Asian 20 km race walk championship. He completed the race in an impressive 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 29 seconds. This victory was very special because it was the first time in 34 years that an Indian athlete had won a gold medal in a race walk event at either an Asian championship or the Asian Games.
Personal Life
Gurmeet Singh is married to Deepmala Devi. She is also a competitive 20 km race walker.
