Chandigarh: 22-yr-old Divyanka from DAV School luggage bronze medal at Dhaka Marathon

In 2010, when athletics trainer Parveen Kumar noticed teenager Divyanka Chaudhary competing in a three,000-m match at an area athletics festival in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the Haryana trainer approached Chaudhary’s folks urging them to ship the teenager to coach beneath him. Homeowners of a small piece of land at their village, Divyanka’s folks agreed, letting her accompany Kumar to Yamunanagar in Haryana to coach.

On Sunday, because the 22-year-old DAV School, Chandigarh, scholar claimed the 3rd position within the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon at Dhaka in Bangladesh, it used to be the teenager’s first podium end in a global marathon out of the country.

Chaudhary clocked a timing of 3 hours, seven mins and 41 seconds, at the back of 2019 SAFF Video games silver medallist Pushpa Bhandari of Nepal and fellow Indian 2019 SAAF Video games bronze medallist Jyoti Gawate within the SAAF elite workforce, and the 22-year-old used to be fast to percentage the feat with trainer and mentor Kumar.

“It’s been a protracted adventure for me after Praveen sir noticed me and took me to coach as her daughter and trainee. At my village, I simply liked to run and knew very much less in regards to the skilled operating. To come to a decision and shift with Praveen sir and his circle of relatives, leaving my circle of relatives, used to be a tricky choice however I owe all of it to Praveen sir. To be at the podium for the primary time in a global marathon is the largest praise for Praveen sir and my complete circle of relatives. The prerequisites right here at Dhaka have been slightly heat as in comparison to North India and the hilly terrain of the direction posed as problem. Despite the fact that my timing used to be no longer considered one of my highest, I’m satisfied to face at the podium of a global match,” shared Chaudhary, who’s a scholar of MA Sociology-I at DAV School, Sector 10.

Whilst Kumar skilled a tender Chaudhary, specializing in her staying power and making her run more than one laps of the stadium close to his house in Yamunanagar, she claimed her first nationwide medal within the type of a bronze medal within the U-16 3,000-m match within the North Zone Athletics Championship in Aligarh in 2012.

In 2016, the athlete helped Haryana declare a staff bronze medal within the U-20 All India Pass Nation Championships in Goa in 2016. In 2018, Chaudhary would lend a hand Punjab staff declare a bronze medal within the 10-km pass nation match within the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Senior Nationwide Pass Nation Championships at Mathura, earlier than successful the bronze medal for Panjab College within the 21-km part marathon match within the All India Inter-College Athletics Championships at Moodbidri, Karnataka.

In 2019, the teenager competed within the Gurgaon Marathon the place she emerged because the winner within the ladies’s class, earlier than she claimed the 3rd spot within the elite runners class in Hyderabad marathon.

Previous to the lockdown final yr, Chaudhary completed 18th in Mumbai Marathon adopted through a 2nd spot within the Gurugaon Marathon. “Whilst I competed in pass nation and different lengthy distance races, my goal at all times used to be the marathons. The highest spot in 2019 Gurgaon Marathon and the 3rd spot within the elite class in Hyderabad gave me the boldness of doing neatly within the Elite box. Previous to the lockdown, I used to be in excellent rhythm and when I used to be decided on within the AFI staff for Dhaka Marathon, I sought after to utilise this chance. The final 12 months has additionally made me educate with the likes of two-time Olympian and previous Asian Video games champion 3,000-m runner Sudha Singh and Jyoti Gawate, and I regularly search guidelines from Sudha didi,” mentioned Chaudhary.

In 2019, Chaudhary clocked a timing of 3 hours and one minute at Gurugaon Marathon whilst at Hyderabad Marathon, she timed 3 hours and 5 mins and 9 seconds.

In 2020, Chaudhary clocked 3 hours and 24 mins and 48 seconds at Mumbai, earlier than returning with a time of 3 hours and 6 mins at Gurgaon.

Kumar, who’s a senior athletics trainer in Haryana Sports activities division, believes that Chaudhary is able for the world competitions.

“Her largest energy has been her strength of mind and adaption to lengthy distance operating. She overlooked out at the Indian staff for 2019 SAAF Video games however our subsequent goal can be to be within the Indian staff for the Asian Marathon Championships to be held in Thailand in July this yr. We also are grateful to AFI Secretary Ravinder Chaudhary for supporting her and DAV School to financially toughen her and I’m certain she is going to win extra laurels for the rustic,” shared Kumar.