Ajay Kumar Saroj Biography
Ajay Kumar Saroj, an Indian middle-distance runner, was born on May 1, of the year 1997. At the South Asian Games of the year 2016 and the Asian Athletics Championships of the year 2017, Ajay Kumar Saroj won gold in the 1500-meter race. Ajay Kumar Saroj also won a gold medal in the 1500-meter race at the South Asian Games of the year 2019.
Early life of Ajay Kumar Saroj
Ajay Kumar Saroj is a Uttar Pradesh native who was born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Saroj has three sisters and three brothers, being the youngest. Ajay Kumar Saroj’s mother is a homemaker, and his father is a farmer. At the age of 15, Ajay Kumar Saroj began engaging in sports.
Athletics Career
Ajay Kumar Saroj’s family urged him to start playing sports when he was young after they noticed his lack of interest in academics. Ajay Kumar Saroj used to watch the Olympic Games on television to study the intricacies of athletics because he was an ardent learner. After starting his career with the 400m, Saroj switched his attention to the 1500m and the 800m at the advice of his coach.
Through the Go Sports Long Term Athlete Development Programme, the Go Sports Foundation is now providing Ajay Kumar Saroj with support.
Career Highlights
Saroj made the decision to represent Assam because, in the words of the long-distance runner, picking UP would have required going through the “hassle of trials.” “We made a bad judgment because I wanted to compete right away. When asked about her challenging beginnings in the sport, Saroj adds, “I continued winning events and I submitted all my papers correctly, but the prize money from the tournaments would never reach me.
P K Shrivastava, the treasurer of the Athletics Federation of India and a member of the UP Athletics Association, recognized Saroj at that point and selected him for the UP team. As Saroj moved to Bengaluru in 2013, support from Shrivastava and Ajith came in sporadic bursts. Saroj’s first big break came at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing in the year 2014 when he finished sixth.
Saroj, who was 17 at the time, didn’t look back as he went on to break both Under-18 and Under-20 national records. The motivated runner recalls, “Once I started training seriously, sometimes in high altitude at Ooty, I just wanted to break all records.”
Saroj claims that he still faces financial challenges and that his monthly expenses exceed 35,000. Since GoSports joined the team two months ago, some of the athlete’s burden has decreased. “I don’t even have a bank account yet. All of the money that my parents, the association, and my brother send me is handled by my coach. Why would I require a profile? Saroj quips, “It’s not like I have any savings at the end of the month.
Saroj is pleased with his job as a ticket checker at the Allahabad station, but Bhatia has persuaded him to pick up the books once more. Coach is correct, though; without a degree, it might be challenging to find employment in the future. For my Bachelor of Arts, I’ve enrolled at Sitaram College. My first year of college is almost coming to an end. Even though it may be challenging, I’ll try to travel for the tests, adds Saroj.
The 20-year-old claims that he hasn’t been home for three years and that along the way, he has had to give up a lot of things. “I’m hoping that I’ll see them before the Asian Games, but it’s not certain,” Saroj says with a hint of sadness in his voice.
But just now, Saroj feels optimistic. His idol’s last and final race before retiring will coincide with his opening contest at the IAAF World Championships in London. The 20-year-old Ajay Kumar Saroj is beyond thrilled to see Mo’ Farah at last.
Bio Data
Born:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1 May 1997Â
Age:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 26 Years
Birth Place: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Allahabad, India
Sport: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Athletics
Event(s): Â Â Â Â Â Â 800 & 1500 m
Coached by: Â Â Â Â Â Â Jaswinder Bhatia
Personal best(s): 800 m – 1:49.05 (2017)
                                   1500 m – 3:38.24(2023)
