"I am now able to run easily without pain" - Asian Games bronze medalist in steeplechase Naveen Dagar

The last six months, albeit off the field, have been quite painful for Naveen Dagar, India’s 2014 Incheon Asian Games bronze medalist in men’s 3000m steeplechase. Since sustaining a lower leg injury in March, the 33-year-old Army runner has been off track and has become overweight.

Cutting down on his weight is the new challenge he faces on his return to training. The Army runner has to rely on his willpower to trim his waistline to make a comeback.

“Since I wasn’t running between March and September due to rehabilitation to recover from an injury, I have put on weight," Naveen Dagar told Sportskeeda. "I was 78kg. It was roughly more than 12 kilograms of my normal body weight."

According to Dagar, he is working to cut down on his body weight as well on his fitness for the 2022 season.

“I don’t want to rush back to hard training as I am still undergoing rehab to recover from lower left leg surgery sustained in March,” said the Army international runner.

In March, Naveen Dagar injured his left leg while competing at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Patiala. He was trailing Avinash Sable, the national record holder, in the opening 1000m of the men’s 3000m steeplechase race during the Federation Cup. But Dagar fell at the water jump after two-and-a-half laps of 400m. He had roughly covered 1000m when he had to call it a day due to injury.

Dagar was immediately rushed to hospital, where multiple fractures were diagnosed in the lower left leg. He had to undergo surgery and had to walk on crutches for nearly six weeks.

Dagar said the doctor told him that it will not be possible for him to compete in the near future.

“It is difficult to explain when a doctor tells you it will not be possible to compete again, leave alone a high intensity workout,” he recalls of the painful experience.

But Dagar said he didn’t give up. Post-surgery, staying safe was his priority as COVID-19 cases were raging in India.

“The medical experts do not understand what goes inside the mind of a runner if he or she is not running," continued Dagar. "For me it’s like fish out of water."

Receiving good rehabilitation was the second important issue that was on Naveen Dagar’s mind to recover from the injury.

“I wasn’t able to get the right kind of rehabilitation due to pandemic," Dagar revealed. "It was a different kind of struggle. To start with, I began cycling in my village near Jhajjar in Haryana."

It has been more than seven months since he was injured in a freak incident in Patiala, but things have started falling in place for him now.

“I am now able to run easily without pain," said Dagar. "That’s is the best thing to happen. I am at Army’s Sports Institute in Pune. I am able to run easily. There is no pain in my leg."

Naveen’s future goal is to compete in a national meet to qualify for the 2022 Asian Games.

“By May-June 2022 I should be fit to compete," Dagar said of his future plans. "My aim is to qualify for the 2022 Asian Games."