In the inter-state meet held in Chennai in the first week of June, Sudha Singh not only emerged as the winner in the women’s 3000 metre steeplechase, but also rewrote her national record. The 27-year-old completed the race in 9 min 45.60 sec, which is a big improvement over her previous best of 9:47:70 — the timing which had enabled her entry to the 2012 london Olympics.
The improved timing saw the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games champion book her berth for the Moscow World Athletics Championships to be held from August 10 via ‘B’ qualifying standard (9:48 min). However, before the Worlds, Sudha is preparing hard for another mission — the Asian Athletics Championships which are going to be held in Pune from Wednesday.
Here, Sudha will try to reposition herself as the new Asian number one and going by her most recent timing, which is the best in Asia this year, she would be the favourite to win the event and the hosts’ best bet to bag a gold medal.
Sudha had won two silver medals in the last two Asian Championships and now her eyes are set on gold this time. But, the Chief Ticket Inspector with the Central Railways wants to remain cautious. “The day I qualified for World Championships was a great one. And the competition at Pune will be a different day and under a different atmosphere. I am excited about the race, but not over-confident. The only thing that will matter is how I perform on that day. So, I am waiting for that,” Sudha told The Pioneer.
“I have prepared well and I am in good rhythm. Everything is going smoothly. I am training under coach Jasvinder Singh Bhatia since March at the national camp at the Sports Authority of India centre at Bangalore. We will go to Pune on Sunday. I am excited. My aim will not only be the gold but also an improved show than this one which will give me more confidence and keep me in good stead heading for the World Championships,” she added.
At the london Olympics, Sudha finished at 21st spot and later rested for a few months before trying to stage a comeback. She was plying her trade in the various half marathons in the country and won all the top competitions like Delhi Half marathon, Mumbai half marathon and Bangalore 10k race.
“At Olympics, I performed as per my ability. After Olympics, I rested for sometime which was necessary after extensive training. Then, I tried to comeback. I didn’t want to rush through. So I competed in those half marathons, because it helps in keeping your fitness going. Also, it increases endurance and competitive spirit. So I took part in those races. It certainly boosted my confidence. Thereafter I trained here in Bangalore and did well in Federation Cup and Indian Grand Prix before the inter-state meet,” Sudha explained.
Interestingly, Sudha used to be a 5,000m runner. But when the Rae Bareli-girl joined Railways in 2007, she was asked to take up steeplechase. “When I joined Railways, there were a lot of seniors like Kavita Raut in 3000m and 5000m. So, I was asked to take up steeplechase,” Sudha remembers.
Sudha burst into the steeplechase scene with a victory in the 2007 National Championships with a timing of 10:18:76 and she has been improving her performances ever since.“Sudha is in fine form and doing well. She has been improving consistently. She trains seriously and is a disciplined athlete. She is currently the leader in Asia. So, I am hopeful that she will earn gold,” Sudha’s coach Bhatia said.
For the moment, India waits for Sudha’s steeplechase glory.