Saritaben’s hard yards finally paying off
PATIALA: Seven years ago, only a few households in Ahawa village, about 250km from Surat, had access to electricity, and Saritaben Gayakwad’s family was not among the lucky few. Her father, a poor farmer, sent Saritaben and her siblings to a nearby hostel so that they could focus on academics. “We didn’t even have the resources to apply for an electricity connection,” said Saritaben,
On Saturday, after winning the women’s 400m hurdles gold in the Federation Cup, clocking 57.21 seconds - a meet record - and securing a berth in the Asian Championships-bound squad, Saritaben was happy she’d given her family something to cheer.
“I developed a liking for sports in the hostel. Initially, I became interested in kho-kho, which was played regularly during leisure time. I also played a bit of kabaddi.” But in 2012, her focus shifted to athletics after she won a sprint event during a state meet. “I received a cash award of ~25,000, which motivated me to pursue the sport,” said Saritaben.
On Saturday, her gold-winning effort was better than the qualifying time of 57.50 sec. “I’ve worked hard for this medal and will continue to work towards my goal of a podium finish in Doha Asian Championships,” she added. Last year, Saritaben was a member of the quartet that won the 4x400m relay gold at the Asian Games, but the feat didn’t “satisfy” her. “That was a team effort. I like winning individual gold. That’ll be my goal in Doha.”
Saritaben might be enjoying a dream run, but two years back she wasn’t in contention for even a relay team berth. “I was a standby during the 2017 Asian Championship and it hurt. The coaches had no trust in me, but I never gave up.”
This year, Saritaben, who is employed with the Income Tax department, hopes to give something back to her parents. “A podium finish at the Asian Championships will be the perfect gift. They have sacrificed so much for me.
We still live in the same old house. I have saved some prize money, which I will utilise for the construction of a new house.
“I have overcome so many hurdles in life that I find the track hurdles much easier to clear.”