Yunus Alvi/Nuh
Nuh, a Meo Muslim dominated district of Haryana burst in celebration as the son of the soil Parvez Khan won a major sports title in the USA on Saturday.
Parvez won the 1500m title at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championship 2024 of Collegiate Athletics held in Louisiana, USA.
Parvez, 19, hails from the Chahalka village of Tawadu Kasba, and is studying in the US on scholarship from the University of Florida. On Saturday, he clocked 3 minutes and 42.73 seconds to win the race at the LSU Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge. His personal best is 3:38.76, which he achieved in California last month.
Parvez said, “Yes, representing India in the Olympics is on my mind. But qualifying for Paris is difficult because I am far behind others. However, I will give my 100 percent to reach there.”
Nuzhat Gull, secrertary of J&K Sports Council posted this video of Parvez Khan's race to victory on X:
This boy Parvez khan is from Chahalka Village in Mewat. Already broken national record and a day of hope for India to get first ever Olympic medal in Track Event.let us pray for him to secure a medal in finals and also first medal in Olympics too @afiindia @Media_SAI @kheloindia pic.twitter.com/zoyKhDNpl6
— Nuzhat gull (@nuzhatjehangir) May 12, 2024
“I do my workout every day. People believe in me, so I am doing well day by day to execute my plans well and hopefully, I will achieve the Olympic standard.”
Later, Parvez competed in the 800m race and finished third with a time of 1:46.80, just seven-tenths behind his personal best in Florida in March.
Parvez is the National Games 2022 champion in the 1500m during which he broke the 28-year-old record of sports.
The locals are ecstatic and proud of Parvez’s achievements and are pouring in at his home to congratulate his parents.
Parvez's brother Khalid said that in the SEC Track and Field Outdoor Championship 2024 held in Florida, America, Parvez participated in the 1500 m and 800 m competition on behalf of the University of Florida, in which more than two dozen athletes from different zones of America participated.
As soon as he got success in the 1500 meter heat event on Saturday, the people of the area expressed happiness and congratulated his family members on becoming the champion.
Growing up in Chahalka, a village in Haryana's Mewat district, about 50 kilometers south of New Delhi, Khan was raised with limited financial resources.
His father, Nafees Ali, supports the family by cultivating wheat and fodder on the five acres of land he shares with his brothers.
Despite adverse financial conditions, Khan had aspirations beyond the limits of his village. His parents didn’t attend school.
His parents initially dissuaded him from sports and they thought there was no future for him there. “There are no players in my village, but I have always been someone who wants to do things differently.
Khan was inspired to run during physical preparation for army recruitment. He didn’t have a coach. Often even in adolescence, he used to outshine his older competitors.
Realizing the need for better training opportunities, Khan moved to New Delhi at the age of 13. He joined the coaching at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and thus started his athletic journey.
Despite doubts about meeting academic standards, Khan's talent as a sprinter continued to blossom. His notable achievements include winning gold in 800 meters at the Under-16 Nationals and a bronze medal at the Under-18 Khelo India Games.
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However, it was Khan's victory in the 1500m at the Open National Championships in Warangal in 2021 that brought him into the spotlight. He got selected for the Indian Navy.
In 2022, Khan won the gold medal in 1500m at the National Games where he clocked his personal best of 3:40:89. This win paved the way for him to join the Indian national camp and subsequently train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, USA.
