Sri Ram Singh Shekhawat

In the 1970s, Indian athletics witnessed an athlete of exceptional abilities who set and broke several national records. His national record in the 800m category, with a time of 1:45.77 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, stood unbroken for 42 years until it was finally surpassed by Jinson Johnson in 2018.

Born on June 21, 1950, in a small village called Badnagar near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Singh came from a simple farming family. In 1966, at the age of 16, he joined the Indian Army in the Rajputana Rifles, which provided him with opportunities for more professional and resourceful training. In 1967, he began training under the celebrated coach Ilyas Babar, who was a prominent Indian athletics coach in the 1970s. Under Babar's guidance, three Arjuna Award-winning athletes were trained. After just one year of training with him, Singh became the national champion in the 400m race.

Coach Ilyas Babar noticed that Singh possessed incredible endurance, and since he was also a short-distance runner, he had exceptional speed. Babar suggested that Singh shift to the 800m races, as this category requires a combination of both endurance and speed. From 1969 onwards, Singh began his journey in the 800m category and became one of India’s most celebrated athletes in this event.

His first international participation was at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, where he finished second in the 800m. At the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, he won the gold medal with a time of 1:47.57. He defended his 800m gold medal at the 1978 Asian Games with a time of 1:48.80. He also secured a silver medal in the 800m at the 1973 Asian Athletics Championships and won three gold medals (400m, 800m, and 4×400m relay) at the 1975 Asian Athletics Championships. Singh represented India in three Summer Olympics: 1972, 1976, and 1980.

The most dramatic of these was the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Singh was assisted by his coach Ilyas Babar, who traveled to Germany at his own expense to support him. In the quarterfinals, Singh completed the race in 1:45.86, finishing second. In the semifinals, he finished fourth with a time of 1:46.42. In the final, held on July 25, 1976, Singh led the race for the first 500 meters. However, American athlete Alberto Juantorena overtook him, followed by four more athletes in the final 300 meters. Singh finished seventh with his personal best time of 1:45.77. This was a classic example of India’s Olympic paradox: so close, yet so far.

In 1973, Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award. In 1978, he was honored as the "Best Athlete of Asia" and was awarded the "Golden Shoes." In 1992, he received the Padma Shri, and the Indian Army decorated him with the Distinguished Service Medal. He retired from the army with the rank of Honorary Captain.

After the 1980s, Singh retired from active athletics and began coaching the next generation of Indian athletes. Under his guidance, several world-class athletes, including Bahadur Prasad, emerged. Heroes like Sri Ram Singh remain largely unheard of, and it is our responsibility to spread the word about them to our fellow Indians.