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Gujarat's promising 400m hurdler Dhaval Utekar had only one thought when he landed in Goa for the 37th National Games. He wanted to finish ahead of the competition in the 400m hurdles and end the domestic season on a high.
"It was a do-or-die situation for me. It was one last domestic race to showcase my potential. I badly wanted to win gold here in Goa," said the 23-year-old from Vadodara after winning the National Games men's 400m title. "I wasn't able to qualify for both the Asian Athletics Championships or the Hangzhou Asian Games and it was mentally very taxing," said Utekar, explaining the reason behind his desperation. In the 400m hurdle finals at the Bambolim Athletics stadium, he was chased down by Nikhil Bhardwaj of Services in the home straight but managed to cross the finish line ahead of his rivals. His gold medal-winning time was 51.20 seconds, while Bhardwaj clocked 51.50 seconds for silver. Vijay Singh Malik (Services) finished third with a time of 51.67 seconds. "The 400m hurdles title in the season-ending competition will add to my confidence," he added. Utekar said he was looking ahead to an opportunity to make it to the national camp as he was unable to practice on his own in the past two years. Seven Summers ago, Utterkar was among several teenagers scouted during a talent search in Gujarat. Joining the Indian Air Force in 2020 further gave him a chance to pursue sports. He made good progress in the 2021-2022 season but was off the mark in the 2023 season. His personal best of 50.55 seconds was clocked last year in a domestic competition. Based out of Hindon at the Indian Air Force (IAF) Station near Delhi, the National Games champion said he has limited resources at his disposal and can't make good progress. "It is difficult to achieve macro or micro goals set for the month or week if the facilities are limited," he said adding that the National Games would hopefully open up avenues for him to polish his skills further. (ANI)
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