Petrol pump attendant from Ballabhgarh with no sporting background raised champion athlete

An Express Investigation: For the last couple of months, 15 reporters gathered data about all of India’s Asian Games medallists in Hangzhou. The analysis provided a few clear-cut trends and some fascinating journeys of athletes that highlight those.

148: Numbers of medallists with no one in the family into sports. Close to one-third of them are from rural areas. Out of them 66 are women.

Deep into the interiors of Jawan village – in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad – Jagbir Lamba stands on the under-construction first floor of his house, beaming with pride. The reason: the first floor is a gift from his daughter, Priti, who won the 3000m steeplechase bronze medal at this year’s Asian Games.

Part-owner of some farmland, and employee at a nearby petrol pump, Jagbir’s family neither had the money nor the cultural exposure to raise a top-level international athlete. He loved playing Kho Kho but his family situation did not allow any sporting ambitions. So, when his daughter was winning age-group state meets by 13, there was no looking back.

“The entire family got together to work towards the same goal. Even if it made things hard. So we saved, controlled our expenses,” Jagbir tells The Indian Express. “When the child is as talented as her, it makes everything easier.”

Jagbir doesn’t spin their financial situation as a hard-luck tale. Money aside, a lack of awareness also held them back.

Part-owner of some farmland, and employee at a nearby petrol pump, Jagbir’s family neither had the money nor the cultural exposure to raise a top-level international athlete. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

“It’s hard for a medium (middle-class) family. Even if we arrange the money, where do we spend it? We have never had protein shakes or juice. When Priti was younger, I used to mash almonds and make her a drink to give her energy,” he says.

That is where he gives the credit for Priti’s career to a local coach, the now deceased Roshan Lal Malik, who helped with diet plans, exercise and training, also advising on what equipment to buy.

Her family and a local coach were pivotal. No big academies or government authorities were involved in the building of the early years of her career.

Jagbir believes sports can be a realistic professional avenue for many young people with rural upbringings.

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“The closest stadium is 25km away from us. If we can’t make the daily journey, we have to resort to local jugaad… Bring facilities into the heart of villages and see how talent is unearthed.”

In an interview with The Indian Express back in May, Priti said that her goal for the year is to win an Asiad medal, knowing how much it means to her father. Seven months later, medal in tow, Jagbir says: “Honestly, the tears couldn’t stop for four days (after she won). Our sacrifices were worth it.”

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