Faridabad Ambulance Driver's Daughter Aarti Makes Jagat Bhadana Proud With World Athletics U20 Championships Success

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It was an early birthday celebration for Haryana's teenage race walker Aarti who capped her season with a brilliant performance at the World Athletics U20 Championships held between August 27 to 31 in Lima, Peru, by winning the bronze medal in the 10,000m race walk.

"Aarti will be 18 next week (September 6)," elated father Jagat Bhadana said over the phone from Faridabad bordering Delhi. Youngest of four siblings, the teenager from a humble family gave her all to clinch bronze in women's 10,000m race walk with a time of 44 minutes 39.39 seconds, a national U20 record.

"Khelo India scholarship in the buildup months to the World Athletics U20 Championships was good support to prepare for global competition," Aarti's father added. "Aarti had won a medal in the 2023 Khelo India competition. She got a Rs 10,000 monthly stipend from March this year."

Hailing from the outskirts of Faridabad, Aarti's father works with a local hospital as an ambulance driver. Mother is a housewife.

Aarti followed in the footsteps of her elder sister Bharti, a national level medalist in women's 20km race walk. Aarti has made rapid progress in two-and-a-half years of her pursuing race walk.

Earlier this year at the Asian U20 held in April in Dubai, she won bronze. Last year she won bronze (5,000m) at the 2023 Asian Youth meet in Tashkent.

Bronze at World U20 in Lima is expected to give the Bhadana family some financial support in terms of cash incentives from state as well as central government. "Cash awards will be a big support to the family and further enable Aarti to improve her performance," the elderly Bhadana said.

To pursue excellence Aarti moved to Rohtak from Faridabad and stayed in a rented house. The monthly expenditure is roughly more than 20,000 per month, excluding sports kit and race walking shoes.

A good pair of race walking shoes will cost between 10,000 to 15,000. The shoes wear down within two months due to the volume of training for the 10,000m race. Staying in a rented house and nourishing diet cost another Rs 20,000 per month. There is a monthly coaching fee to be paid

"It's a big challenge for a person like me to support my teenage daughter who wants to excel at the international sports arena," Bhadana said.

The Haryana government has a policy to support national and international athletes through its cash incentive scheme, but the Bhadana family hasn't got all the dues till date. "The Haryana sports department in Faridabad hasn't told us how much Aarti will get. We are waiting," he added.