Amit Khatri eyes 2022 Asian & Commonwealth Games after winning silver in U20 Championship

After registering a big win in the 10,000m racewalking event at the U20 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, Amit Khatri is now looking to win the 2022 Asian Commonwealth games. In the recently concluded World championship, Khatri clocked the race at 42:17.94. Meanwhile, Kenya's Heristonee Wanyonyi won gold after completing the race in 42:10:84, and Spain's Paul McGrath clinched the bronze medal for completing the race in 42:26:11 minutes. In a virtual press conference, Amit Khatri explained his entry into the game. As he said, "I just wanted to play the game and I got an interest in racewalking. I started running first, then I got into walking. I learned it from Charan Singh Rathi and my current coach is Chandan Singh." 

Racewalker Amit Khatri aims at winning 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games

The rigorous high-altitude conditions in Nairobi forced Khatri to settle for the second place with a silver medal in the 10,000m racewalking event. Khatri made his international debut after winning India's first medal in race walking on the world stage. The 17-year-old explained how he faced problems breathing due to high altitude conditions in Nairobi.

While addressing the media, Khatri said, "At the water point, I was disturbed as the water bottles fell from my hand two to three times". He further said that it was his first international tournament and he didn't know much. He said he came to know many things about the international competition as he met with new players and also came across judging for the first time. He said, "My strategy was to do something if I went there. The best thing about this is that I didn't get any warning. My walking is perfect and I still need to learn many things".

Citing Olympic Champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, Khatri said Chopra won his first gold medal at the junior world championships and he also wanted to follow Chopra's path. Khatri said now he is targeting the Commonwealth Games. He said, "My target is the Commonwealth games as of now. I will do more hard work for the 2022 Commonwealth and Asian Games."

Track record of racewalker Amit Khatri

Belonging to Haryana's Rohtak district, Amit Khatri has come a long way in the last few years of his career. Khatri, who was rejected several times for having poor stamina and strength, initially marked a mega victory in the 10,000m event at the World Athletics U20 Championship in Nairobi on Saturday. Earlier in January 2020, he broke the national U-20 race record at the Junior Federation Cup in Bhopal, where he completed the race in 40:40:97 seconds. He has been in the spotlight since 2018 when he claimed the U-16 5000m race walk national record (21:17:63). Khatri has also claimed the first position in the U-20 10,000m race in the National Open Race Walking Championship in Ranchi (40:28.00) in 2020. He now aims at winning the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games.
 

IMAGE: ANI
(With ANI Inputs)