Uttar Pradesh teenager Neeru Pathak was part of India’s 4x400m mixed relay squad which finished sixth and last in the final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The 19-year-old though came away with useful experience and lessons in pacing herself under pressure of a high profile competition.
The young athlete from Aligarh now wants to make amends by making a mark in the Asian Games, to be held in Japan in September-October.
“CWG was a big stage for me, but a minor injury in the last-minute pushed me back. But that’s an old story for me now and I’m focusing on a podium finish in 400m at the Asian Games next month,” Neeru said on Wednesday.
Neeru has been named in the 4x400m relay squad for the Japan Games.
“I learnt so many things from Glasgow and I am sure those lessons will help me at the Asian Games,” said Neetu, who is currently training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhubaneswar.
Having given early notice of her running talent, she progressed through the state and national age-group meets after shifting the training base to Meerut. At 18, she became a regular in the junior national camps
By 18 she was a regular in junior national camps and by 19 she had earned senior selection and a place on the Commonwealth stage. At the U20 Asian Athletics Championships this year, she took bronze in the 400m, clocking 53.23 secs in the final.
She had to deal with a muscle issue last year. Neeru said her rehabilitation included mobility and soft-tissue work, and recovery work included hydrotherapy to cryotherapy.
She also said working on race tactics at the training has been important. “The CWG taught me the danger of an over-ambitious first 200m. Now my race plans prioritise controlled first-half pacing, a strong but measured transition in the third 100, and a finishing kick based on strength endurance rather than raw speed alone,” she said.
“Sports psychologists at the SAI centre have helped me turn frustration into focus, building routines for race-day pressure and visualisation techniques to rehearse race scenarios.”
Her coaches at Meerut believe that the relay team’s sixth place at Glasgow is part of Neeru’s learning curve and has sharpened her resolve.
