Just a few years ago, Gurindervir Singh faced one of the toughest periods of his life; today, as his parents look back at that painful chapter, the memories seem distant
03 June, 2026 – Bhogpur : Ask for Gurindervir Singh’s house in Jalandhar’s Patial village and chances are you won’t need an address.
“Oh, 100 metre vaale? Come, I’ll take you there,” said a young biker without a second thought, proudly guiding the reporter to the home of Punjab’s newest sprint sensation.
For Gurindervir’s family, life has changed dramatically since the day he made a record in the 100 m. At their home, pride and gratitude fill every conversation. His parents repeatedly thank the Almighty for standing by their son through years of struggle and sacrifice.
“Saada paasa badal gaya (our fortune changed), naam badal gaya, saare saanu jaanan lagg gaye, jis din Gurinder ne record banaya,” said his father, retired ASI Kamaljit Singh, speaking to The Tribune.
“Everything changed the day Gurinder created that record.”
Recently, Gurindervir clocked a stunning 10.09 seconds in the 100-metre race, setting a new national record and announcing himself as one of India’s brightest athletics prospects.
But for his father, the achievement is only the beginning.
“His next target is the Commonwealth Games. And he has promised me one thing, that one he will run in an Olympic final,” Kamaljit said with confidence.
One of the most memorable moments of Gurindervir’s record-breaking run came after he crossed the finish line. He pulled out a handwritten note predicting his finishing time: 10.10 seconds.
The family had no idea about it.
“Even we were surprised,” his father recalled.
“He had specially ordered a pen, quickly wrote the message before the race and kept it with him. That showed the belief he had in his hard work,” his father said.
As it turned out, Gurindervir did even better than his own prediction, stopping the clock at 10.09 seconds.
The road to success, however, was far from smooth. Just a few years ago, Gurindervir faced one of the toughest periods of his life. For nearly 18 months, he struggled with serious health problems.
“He lost nearly eight kg. Whatever he ate didn’t suit him. Only we know how difficult that period was,” his father said.
Despite the uncertainty, Kamaljit never allowed his son to lose hope.
“Hausla rakh, asi game khedni hai (Keep faith, we have to play the game),” he would tell him repeatedly.
Today, as the parents look back at that painful chapter, the memories seem distant.
“When I think about what we went through and then see what he has achieved now, all that pain fades away,” Gurindervir’s mother said.
Gurindervir’s love for sketching, books and food
Away from the track, Gurindervir is a quiet young man with simple interests. He enjoys sketching, reading books about martyrs and culture, and he loves food.
What doesn’t interest him much are material things. “He has never been fond of buying new clothes or showing off,” his father said. “Many times, he skipped family functions and social gatherings because his training came first.”
For Kamaljit Singh, who retired last month, the timing of his son’s achievement made it even more special.
Gurindervir had planned to come home, but competition commitments got in the way. “I told him to focus on his race because that was more important,” Kamaljit recalled.
What happened next exceeded every expectation.
“Little did I know that he would give me the greatest retirement gift of my life,” said the proud father, his eyes reflecting the joy of a journey that has transformed not just a young athlete’s career, but an entire family’s story.
The Tribune