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Race-walking is not one of the most popular sports around the world, while in India the scene is not any better. But, the discipline, which has two Olympic events, is gaining popularity in the country of late, with Kerala-based athlete K.T. Irfan leading the charge.
For the record, five race-walkers have already qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - KT Irfan (Men’s 20km), Sandeep Kumar (Men’s 20km), Rahul Rohilla (Men’s 20km) Priyanka Goswami (Women’s 20km), and Bhawna Jat (Women’s 20km).
KT Irfan, the national record holder, has already featured in the 2012 London Olympics, where he finished in the 10th spot in the 20km event — an inspiring result from an Indian’s perspective.
After missing out on the 2016 Rio Games due to stress fracture, Irfan is eyeing a first Indian medal win in race-walking at the Tokyo Olympics later this year.
Sportskeeda caught up with the athlete for a brief chat, where KT Irfan discussed his race-walking technique, his Tokyo Olympic aspirations, and the state of race-walking in India.
Here are the excerpts:
SK: You qualified for the Tokyo Olympics way back in March 2019, but the Games are yet to be held. Did the postponement affect your and the other race-walkers' preparations?
KT Irfan: The postponement owing to the COVID-19 pandemic did not pose a huge threat to the athletes, because they had more time to prepare for the Olympics. Many of them have suffered from the same, with their preparations already done when the 2020 Tokyo Games were pushed back.
But, the thing is, our fitness has gone down due to the situation, and we have to get back in shape once again. There was a bit of financial loss involved in the same. But for me, it has been positive, with more preparation time gained ahead of the main event. If there were a few competitions around, it would have been ideal for me.
SK: You had previously mentioned that in the 20km race-walking event, athletes walk the first 15 kilometers and then it’s one's technique that helps him cover the rest of the 5 kilometers in race walking. How have you worked on that?
KT Irfan: So, basically Indian race-walkers carry on the same tempo throughout the race, but foreigners step up their pace in the last five kilometers, after they’ve completed the first 15. I've changed my technique a lot at present, to increase my pace in the last five kilometers of the race.
My coach has also changed certain things during training. Our focus is to maintain a good tempo for the first 15 kilometers and go for the kill in the last five. We are currently training in Bangalore, during which I am trying very hard to work on the closing stages.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2021: How North Korea's withdrawal might affect the tournament
SK: What has been the reason for Indians not taking up the sport seriously so far? Has the paradigm now shifted somewhat with the recent success of race-walkers at multi-sport events?
KT Irfan: Firstly, it is a long race and no one is taking up the trouble to give so much effort to do well and excel in the sport. But, with recent success, like the medal win (Harminder Singh) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and then my 10th place finish at the 2012 London Games, more people are taking up the sport. In the junior section too, there were not many in the scene, but times are changing, with the national championships now also being divided into several groups like A, B, C.
SK: Having already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, you had to pull out of the event in the 11th hour due to stress fracture. How disappointing was that?
KT Irfan: Since I finished in 10th place at the 2012 London Olympics, everyone was expecting a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In fact, I also expected a good result in the last edition of the Games, which could have been attained with a bit more of hard work and effort.
I was preparing for that, we were training in Dharamsala back then, following which we shifted to Bangalore. But all of a sudden the stress fracture thing cropped up. It happened due to training overload.
SK: When did you realize you needed to pull out of the 2016 Rio Games?
KT Irfan: So, the stress fracture thing actually happened after the 2014 Asian Games, but I was determined to make the 2016 Rio Games cut somehow. In the 2016 Walking Championships, after receiving treatment, I qualified for the Olympics. But, before the event got underway in Rio, I came to know that the injury had not healed totally, so I skipped the flight to Rio.
SK: How hopeful are you regarding the 2021 Tokyo Olympics? What are the chances of bringing back a medal?
KT Irfan: Now, looking forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, I need to prove myself. The Federation and SAI have shown faith in me, the coach also expects the same. Considering the contingent we have, there is a bright chance of bringing back a medal. If I continue the same, I am hopeful of claiming a medal in Tokyo - maybe a gold, a silver or a bronze.
