A 19-year-old tribal athlete from Maharashtra won silver in the 5000m race at the Khelo India Tribal Games despite financial hardships. Training without a coach, he earns through local races and supports his family. He even borrowed spikes to compete, highlighting his journey of resilience and self-reliance.

Jagdalpur, March 31: Suraj Mashi and his few friends training at the athletics track in Nashik are busy doubling up as wide eyed fan boys watching their seniors do the drills to improve their performance. Only difference being, they are busy taking mental notes that they can implement when they begin their training drills.

Suraj is part of a group of tribal athletes who can’t really afford to pay for a coach every month and have to rely on whatever help they could get to improve their performance as running is the only skill that has brought them this far and can one day change their life for the better.

“The coaching fee is Rs 4000 per month. I can’t afford. I stay on rent in Nashik to study and have to pay rent, which I earn from running in races in Maharashtra and Gujarat. So I train by myself and seek advice from seniors or Tribal department coaches when I get stuck,” said Suraj, who bagged the silver medal in the men’s 5000m race in the athletics competition in the Khelo India Tribal Games here on Sunday.

Instead Suraj pays Rs 300 a month to use the facility and trains with second hand shoes and spikes. However, with his spikes quite worn out, he had to borrow a fellow runner’s spikes to compete in the Khelo India Tribal Games here.