Esow Alben Puts Indian Cycling On The World Map

Esow Alben puts Indian cycling on the world map

- Neeru Bhatia

The Velodrome at the 110acre Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex in Delhi seemed quiet from the outside. But, as we made our way through the winding hallways, past the gymnasium, the technical area and various dope control rooms, we heard the hum of the wheels. The only velodrome in India with a timber track was chirping with activity; trials for the Track Asia Cup (September 9 to 11) were on. (At the time of going to print, India had won 12 medals, including four golds, at the event.)

Boys and girls from various states went through the drills under the watchful eyes of trainers and coaches. Chief national coach R.K. Sharma kept a close watch. With the whistle and stopwatch in his hands, he diligently jotted down the timing of the cyclists. He had handpicked these boys when they were 13 or 14 and has been training them for the past fiveodd years.

On August 15, in Frankfurt, Germany, and at the stroke of the midnight hour back in India, these young boys became the first Indian team to win a gold in the Junior Track World Championships. Rojit Singh Yanglem, Esow Alben and Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam won the team sprint event by beating powerhouses such as Australia, Great Britain and Germany. Esow, 18, went a step further to clinch silver in individual sprint and bronze in the keirin (six laps).

But while the country marvelled at the young cyclists’ achievements, Sharma had moved on. For him, the medals were a result of the hard work of the past three years. He had targeted these timings back then. “There is no surprise in the results,” he told THE WEEK. “If we have a good team and support, the results are bound to come. Our team sits and plans properly, we have a team sponsor. If I am not able to achieve targets, what is the use of me?”