At the SEC championships held on Saturday, May 11th, Parvej Khan of India made history by claiming the gold medal in the 1500m race. Hailing from the agricultural region of Haryana, Khan showcased remarkable skill with a time of 3:42.73, earning his second gold medal of the tournament. As he took to the track in Louisiana, the 19-year-old displayed a calm confidence in his abilities. During the heats leading up to the final, Khan captivated spectators by effortlessly passing his competitors in the last stretch of the race, eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd. A viral video on social media captured Khan’s electrifying performance as he surged ahead of other runners, and waved his hands to the crowd.
Making his debut at the NCAA Championships (Indoor) in March of this year, Khan achieved the milestone of being the first Indian athlete to qualify for a track event in this prestigious collegiate competition. Following a commendable third-place finish in the one-mile preliminary run, Khan advanced to the final of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Boston. Proudly representing the University of Florida's Florida Gators, Khan continues to dazzle audiences with his exceptional talent on the track.
Parvej Khan hails from a modest family in the rural heartland of Metwa district, Haryana, where his parents make a living from farming. Born in the idyllic Chahalka village, located just 50 kilometres south of bustling Delhi, Parvej's father, Nafees Khan, tended to five acres of land, cultivating wheat and cattle fodder. Despite his humble beginnings, Parvej displayed exceptional talent from a young age, often outpacing older boys in his village.
At the tender age of 13, driven by his ambition to excel as a professional runner, Parvej embarked on a journey to Delhi in search of better opportunities and resources to hone his skills. Following a brief stint training at the renowned Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Parvej made the pivotal decision to relocate to Bhopal, where he joined the esteemed Sports Authority of India (SAI) under the expert tutelage of coach Anupama Srivastava.