Bihar’s Piyush Raj scripts history with U20 Asian Athletics Championships bronze

KOLKATA: Piyush Raj created history for Bihar, becoming the first athlete from the state to win a medal at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships after helping India’s men’s 4x400m relay team clinch bronze in Hong Kong on Sunday.The 19-year-old quarter-miler from Banjari village in Bihar’s Rohtas district began by training on his own across the Kaimur hills and along the Son river seven years ago, inspired by locals preparing for army recruitment. On Sunday, he realised his dream by standing on the podium at his first international competition.Speaking after the race, Raj, who ran the opening leg, was understandably elated. “It feels wonderful. As I had mentioned earlier, my target was to win a medal and I was able to do that,” Raj told TOI from Hong Kong.“Representing India on such a big stage and running the opening leg added to the pressure. But I was able to give the team a solid start and set things up for us to fight for a medal.”Raveendran Sankaran, director general-cum-CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA), who supported Raj by arranging a job for him at the Patliputra Sports Complex and later helping him procure sprint spikes, couldn’t have been prouder.“From the hills of Rohtas to the streets of Hong Kong. From barefoot strides to PUMA spikes, from a BSSA tee to wearing India’s colours — this isn’t just a journey, it’s a masterclass in transformation. Best wishes for the next chapter, Piyush,” Sankaran said.Interestingly, Raj had come under tremendous pressure on Sunday after a lane infringement during the opening leg of the mixed 4x400m relay on Saturday led to India’s disqualification, despite the team finishing second.“I was very disappointed for some time after that incident and felt a lot of pressure after Saturday. But everybody supported me. Their encouragement helped me come back with confidence today,” said the youngster, whose father died in a road accident in 2015.On Sunday, however, he made no such mistake and delivered exactly what the team needed. “Our mindset was simple — we had to run for our country. We had to run for India,” Raj added.After initial training in Patna, Raj shifted base to the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad, where he trained under Laxman Korra and Dronacharya awardee N Ramesh.The teenager will now turn his focus to the U20 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from August 5-9, having qualified for the event at the U20 Federation Cup in Tumkur in April. “We know there’s still a lot of hard work ahead. We need to prepare well and keep improving,” he said.It won’t be easy to bag a medal there, but for the Bihar boy — who, just a decade ago, helped run a wheat mill with his elder brother to support the family — the opportunity itself will be invaluable.