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Ram Baboo displayed incredible resilience by winning a medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou earlier this month. Coming from very humble beginnings, Ram Baboo had to struggle to fund his training and make ends meet. He even took to waiting tables, sewing, and construction work to earn some money.
The athlete also overcame several other hurdles on his way to a bronze medal in the 35km racewalking mixed team event alongside his teammate Manju Rani. This triumph marked a significant milestone in his athletic career. However, after winning the medal, Baboo decided to make a shift to the 20km race.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Ram Baboo opened up about the reasons behind his transition, his future aspirations, and his reflections on his performance at the Asian Games.
“From 35 km to 20 km training, the mileage reduces and the speed increases. I already have speed. I have to develop speed endurance. By developing that, I can manage, and I have a target to finish on the podium in the Paris Olympics.”
Despite the distinction between the 20km and 35km events being not just a matter of distance, Baboo eyes an Olympic podium in the event. He also shed light on why he decided to make the shift.
“There are only 2 events in walking in athletics. One is 20 km and the other is 35 km. There are no problems in the 20 km race. Everything is going smoothly. But the 35 km race, which was 50 km earlier is 35 km for individuals. Now they are making it a team event in the Olympic Games. It will be like a relay. In the first and third parts, the boy will run. While in the second and fourth parts, the girl will run. It is very tough as you have to depend on the team."
Ram Baboo added that the new format for the 35km race walk made it a very team-dependent event and that made him a little uncomfortable. He preferred taking the onus on himself and depending on his own abilities rather than a teammate’s.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are, if there are no other good athletes on your team, you will end up losing. Or if your teammate is good, but if you are injured or you fall sick, the team loses because of you. It is a very stressful and team-dependent event and this makes me a little uncomfortable. That is why I want to shift to 20 km. Because 20 km is an individual event.”
"We are not fully satisfied," Ram Baboo on his performance at the Asian Games
In spite of securing a coveted Asian Games medal, Ram Baboo revealed that things didn’t go exactly according to plan. He went on to say that he wasn’t completely satisfied with his performance in Hangzhou but is happy that he represented India and managed to secure a medal.
“After winning the medal, performance doesn't matter that much. But yes, we couldn't perform as per what we had planned and thought out, so, obviously, we are not fully satisfied. But we represented India for the first time, and we won the medal. This makes us very happy.” Ram Baboo concluded.
