At 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, while the villagers of Chaharka in Nuh district, Haryana, were sleeping, Khalid Hussain was glued to YouTube on his mobile phone, watching his 19-year-old nephew Parvej Khan attend a university tournament in Louisiana, US. I watched from the corner of my eye as he surprised his fans. world.
Palvey won gold in the 1,500 meters and bronze in the 800 meters at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, a competition for athletes from the south-central and southeastern United States. Palvey shot to fame after winning gold on Saturday night, but in March she made history by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to compete in the prestigious NCAA Championships in Boston. left behind. He competed in the one-mile race, a non-Olympic event.
Those before him who have made their mark in the NCAA are notable athletes. Triple jumper Mohinder Singh Gill, discus thrower Vikas Gowda and high jumper Tejaswin Shankar.
Khalid immediately called Parvej's younger brother Rohit. “When his parents woke up at 4 a.m., they ran over to check on him. His mother was disappointed that he didn't qualify for the Olympics. said there are more games… he may still be eligible,'' Khalid said of the early morning conversation.
Parvej's family has high standards for him because he showed promise as an athlete as a teenager.
His father, Nafees Ahmed, recalls that his son did poorly in math because he was devoted to running.
“When he was in the 9th standard, races were held between the villages of Rewari, Nuh and Manesar on Independence Day and New Year…As a 13-year-old, he used to beat 23-year-olds easily. I was going to train on the farmland,” Ahmed said.
From running on a wildebeest farm to representing the University of Florida in athletics, Parvej made rapid progress.
Even before she won gold in the 1,500 meters at the Louisiana state championships, a video clip of Palvey raising her hand to address fans as she pulled away from other athletes in the final straight of qualifying was making the rounds online. On-air commentators compared his meteoric rise to tactical British genius Steve Ovett's 1980 Olympic finish, saying: , working a little harder than he actually needs to. ”
The final was a close one, but Khan won the gold medal with a powerful finishing kick. He won the title with a time of 3 minutes, 42.73 seconds at LSU Barney Moore Stadium.
Parvej has a qualifying time of 3 minutes 33.50 seconds and will need to run faster to qualify for the Paris Olympics. On the same day, he won his second medal in the 800 meters with a time of 1:46.80, more than two seconds slower than the Olympic standard of 1:44.70, earning him a bronze medal.
After Saturday's race, Parvezi said he couldn't give 100 percent in the 1,500 meters because he had to fight in the 800 meters as well.
Regarding his flashy performance in Friday night's 1500m heats, Khan said he was not trying to disrespect the other athletes and just wanted to entertain the crowd.
“My intentions were not bad (towards competitors and rivals). I always respect competitors and rivals. I'm just doing it for the home crowd,” Parvej added. .
Challenge your unique qualification
Parvej was realistic about his chances of making it to the Olympics. “(Qualifying) is on my mind, but it's very difficult to qualify. I'm way behind. But I'm giving my 100 percent and doing my job every day. The Olympics. I hope we can meet the standards.”
Parvaj had also caused controversy when he was declared overage at the 2021 National Junior Championship in Guwahati. The Athletics Federation of India had to reveal that he was overage when he won gold in the 1,500 meters at the National Open Championships in Warangal. There are no restrictions on him competing at senior level.
“To clarify the issue regarding Parvej Khan. He has been declared overage in the U18 category at the National Junior Guwahati and can no longer compete in age group events. However, he is eligible for the Sr category #NOACwarangal “He is a true favorite to win the National Open 1500m title. No record,” AFI posted on Twitter at the time.
But Parvej's story is an inspiration to young wildebeest.
“There are many talented boys like Parvej in the Mewat region, but due to the circumstances they are not reaching where they should be,” Khalid said.
After 10th grade, Parvay headed to Delhi to train at the JLN Stadium and stayed with his uncle, who drives a taxi in the city. But Parvej needed formal training to compete against some of the best athletes in the region. “So he decided to hire a coach for Rs 1,000 a month.”
After his stint in Delhi, he went to Bhopal where he met Sports Authority of India coach Anupama Srivastava. “She had a tremendous influence on him. She accompanied him to his races and helped him grow. She was the one who led him to apply abroad and choose the University of Florida offer. But there was,” Khalid said.
Last August, Parvej received two scholarship offers from Japanese universities and the University of Florida. Although he was employed by the Indian Navy, he grabbed the opportunity to study and train abroad. “Apart from a stipend worth Rs 200,000 per year, his tuition and hostel fees were covered by the stipend,” Khalid said.
Although Parvej has achieved success on the track, his mother Hansila is not happy.
“He won't call us, so we have to call to check on him. On Friday, after the heats, he asked us to pray for the finals. “I asked him to,” Hansila said.
On Sunday, visitors came to Parvej's house one after another to congratulate the family. Khalid's phone was ringing with calls. “He wanted to come back in June, but we told him to come back until the end of June so we could qualify for the Olympics. The Olympics are a dream for him and for us.” Khalid said while receiving it.