A second wind that returned a medal

"Man, a gold medal at my first Asian Games at 25... not a bad outing!"

- Rutvick Mehta

 

Certainly not, more so after squash pro Abhay Singh wanted out in the sport a couple of years ago. But he kept at it. The reward? A couple of Asian Games medals.

Bothered by a string of poor throws this season, Annu Rani contemplated leaving javelin throw. But she kept at it. The reward? An Asian Games gold.

Troubled by frequent injuries over the last few years, Amoj Jacob, member of India's 4×400m men’s relay quartet, toyed with pulling the plug on his running career. But he kept at it. The reward? An Asian Games gold.

As much as India’s best-ever medal show at the Asian Games is filled with stories of men and women of class and consistency and youngsters on the fast lane, it also features people seemingly thinking of having met a dead end in their sport careers, questioning themselves at the crossroads and yet, pushed by factors internal or external, choosing to ride on.

Abhay, the man who pulled off that nerve-wracking win in the last game against Pakistan for the squash men’s team gold, saw his social media go "crazy” with mentions and messages after the final. Not too long ago, though, he found himself in a lonely space.

In December 2021, after returning home from a couple of early exits in Scotland and Doha “playing horrifically” after the post-pandemic resumption of squash, Abhay sat with his parents for a frank chat.