NEW DELHI: Fresh from the high of a career-defining silver medal in the men’s 800m race at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Krishan Kumar, a three-time national champion, earned the ticket to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest later that year.
As part of their preparation, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) sent him for a training camp in Switzerland alongside Avinash Sable, Parul Chaudhary, and Ajay Kumar Saroj, but he was in for an early shock.
“The climate there was very cold,” Krishan tells TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive conversation. “While doing some repetitions, I twisted my ankle and tore a ligament.”
With the World Championships just days away, he could barely jog, let alone compete. Physio Mayur Thakur, however, insisted, and Krishan taped the ankle, took painkillers, and ran.
“I was really down mentally, but then I thought, ‘I’ve come all this way to run at the World Championships. At least I should get to the starting line,'” he adds.
He finished in 1:50, far below his personal best of 1:45.88, achieved during his silver-clinching race at the Asian Athletics C’ships. With the Asian Games only weeks away, Krishan was immediately sent back to India. He started his rehab furiously, which involved daily swims, light jog and consistent push through the pain.
The 27-year-old participated in the Asian Games men’s 800m race and despite clearing the heat, his injured ankle held him back in the main event. The dream of an Asian Games medal disappeared. The worst, however, was yet to come.
“I soon returned to training as I wanted to compete at the Olympics,” he sighs. “Then one day, during a session, my already weak ankle gave out. This time, it wasn’t one. Three ligaments tore completely, and there was also a small fracture.”
For a few days, Krishan was allowed to rehab in the national camp, but when the new list came out, his name was missing. Agitated and hurt at the same time, he called and texted people he’d known for years: friends, coaches, officials. Some didn’t answer, some answered and never called back.
“I’m not speaking against anyone. I made those calls requesting to be added to the list, but slowly, they stopped picking up my calls, answering my texts,” he recalls.
From Bhiwani to Budapest: A dream worth living
On the outskirts of Haryana’s Bhiwani district lies Krishan’s village, which has no proper tracks or grounds. After completing his schooling from Tagore Senior Secondary School, the 1997-born joined the Indian Army when he was in his 12th standard at the age of 17 years and 8 months.
“We had no resources. My father worked in the fields. The Army gave me a path,” he recounts.
Sports came into Krishan’s life after the Army.
“My first motivation was the Army recruitment race; 300–400 boys running together pushed me to train hard,” he says. “In 2018, I clocked 2:08. Then one day, I saw a video of Jinson Johnson running 1:45.99. That inspired me. I thought, ‘I want to run like that.’”
In his athletic career thus far, there haven’t been many setbacks, barring one.
The comeback of Krishan Kumar
When calls for ensuring a permanent rehab station went unanswered, the sprinter was advised to undergo surgery. Surgery? Krishan thought about it often, but money was tight.
“I had already borrowed a bit from friends and spent it all on training. I didn’t have enough for surgery. If I had asked my father, he might’ve borrowed too,” he says.
He then made the tough call and opted for rehab. Under the guidance of Mayur Thakur, he committed fully to recovery and could skip surgery.
“I got injured and felt isolated, even slipped into depression at times. But I reminded myself that I was a village boy who began as a sepoy in the Army. I had to make a comeback at any cost. Through exercise, I gradually set my ankle,” admits the 27-year-old, who now holds the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.
After over a year out, Krishan returned to the Indian Grand Prix in March this year, and in the men’s 800m, he came first while clocking a solid 1:47.
Training solo at the Indian Army track in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Krishan has set his sights on the Asian Athletics Championships, where he will compete from May 27 to 31 in South Korea.
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In Krishan’s words, however, his comeback is powered not just by training, but quiet words from home: “My mom has never been to school, but she keeps telling me, ‘Don’t look back. Whatever is right or wrong will unfold, but keep moving forward.’ She may not be educated, but her words give me strength.”
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