Sports Reporter
JAMMU: Despite poor infrastructural facilities at his home town of Jammu to train, young Aryaaveer Singh is fast emerging as a long distance runner in the Jammu and Kashmir with his sheer hard-work and dedication to improve on the given standards. Fully aware of the absence of a synthetic track, the basic need of an athlete, in the State, this marathon-runner still opted for the game and strives hard to make his presence felt at the national scene.
Aryaaveer has already earned a name at the State level by winning gold in 1,000 meters event competing in under-16 category I the 14th State Athletics Championship and then secured a bronze in 3,000 meters race in under-18 age group.
This 15-year old athlete is a student of BSF Senior Secondary School in Jammu. “His achievement in under-18 category was highly acknowledged by one and all at the state level meet,” said Aryaaveer’s father and guide, Vinod Bhatia.
Last year, Aryaaveer secured silver trophy in half-marathon 10 km race held as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of BSF. He already has to his credit eighth rank in the 50th National Cross Country Championship held in January this year at Balwendi in Pune.
An upcoming athlete of the state, Aryaaveer represented J and K in the Junior Nationals held at Vishakhapatnam last month.
“He is working hard, but in the absence of a synthetic track, Aryaaveer finds it difficult to compete against those athletes, who otherwise practice on the latest modern facilities available to them.
There seems no dearth of talent in athletics, but we in J and K lacked the basic facilities.
The government must look into the difficulties faced by these young aspiring athletes and comes out with a comprehensive plan to give fillip to mother of all games i.e Athletics,” maintained Vinod Bhatia.
