Esow Alban makes it a hat-trick of gold at the Asian Track Cycling Championship

What's the story?

Young cycling sensation Esow Alban is making waves in the cycling world these days owing to his and India's strong performances at the 2018 Asian Track Cycling Championship being held in Nilai, Malaysia.

Following two prior gold medals in the individual and team categories, Esow has now made it a hat-trick of gold medals with his victory in the Men's Junior Sprint event at the Championships.

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Esow had earlier grabbed gold in the team event on Day One with Mayur Pawar and James Singh and secured the top prize again on Day Two with a win in the Men's Junior event amid heavy competition from top cyclists.

The heart of the matter

India's run at the Asian Track Cycling Championship has been largely successful so far but there have been some near misses as well. Esow has been the star performer by quite a distance but has been joined on the podium by Chinchakhandi Danamma, who was able to secure the bronze medal at the Championships with a strong showing in the Women's Junior Points race.

Other impressive performances by Indian athletes include a fourth-place finish for Mayur Pawar in the Men's Junior event where Esow won gold and Mayuri Luthe's fourth-place finish in the Women's Juniors category.

What's next?

The Indian contingent will be gunning for a strong finish to what has been a fiery first few days at the Asian Track Cycling Championship where Esow Alban, in particular, has done the nation proud.

Author's take

Esow is definitely one to look out for in the future and his calmness under pressure is especially commendable. As the youngsters continue their pursuit for victory, India looks on with anticipation.