29 September,2026 08:39 AM IST | Aichi-Nagoya | Sundeep Misra
India’s Gulveer Singh celebrates after crossing the finish line to win silver in the men’s 1500m final on Monday. Pic/PTI
[popcorn number="3:36.72" desc="The timing with which Gulveer won silver, also his personal best" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="Three" desc="Total number of Asiad medals won by Gulveer Singh - 10,000m bronze at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, and silver medals in the 10,000m and 1500m at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Games" class="Default"]
The Clash, the famous English rock band, once asked, "Should I stay or should I go?" In the gruelling world of international distance running, that lyric is not just a rock anthem, it's a split-second, tactical philosophy. For India's premier distance runner, Gulveer Singh, life exists right in that thin zone.
It's a state of perfection where calculated imperfection rules as a habit, and knowing when to make a break or when to hold back is an absolute work of art.
At the Asian Games here, Gulveer proved he's among the finest distance runners India has ever produced, securing two remarkable silver medals in just three days across vastly contrasting events: the 10,000m and the 1500m. And the 5000m is still to come.
Winning medals in two separate events separated by such a short turnaround demands extraordinary endurance, recovery management, and out-of-this-world mental toughness.
The 10,000m (silver, 28:29.38): Over 25 laps, Gulveer expertly navigated the field to claim his first podium finish for India.
The 1500m (silver, 3:36.72 PB): Like a rock star singing soul, it requires emotional depth, perfect timing, and a smooth transition. Gulveer clocked a personal best, finishing just behind Japan's Kazuto Iizawa, who set a new Games record. To transition from the slow burn of a 10,000m race to the sprint tactics of a 1500m final in 72 hours displays a versatility rarely seen in Indian athletics.
Gulveer's campaign here has also stirred a debate over the limits of ambition. When the Japanese runners surged past him in the closing stretches, it triggered a moment of raw emotion. Kneeling on the track, he slapped it twice, kissed the turf, and vanished into the mixed zone. "I couldn't match the speed of the Japanese. I'm used to the 5000m and 10,000m pace," he admitted later.
Pushing an athlete into uncharted territory can be a double-edged sword. In a global landscape, where medals are heavily guarded, hesitating means losing out on glory. Yet, chasing every available race can test even the best, unless you're an Emil Zatopek, who won Olympic gold across the 10,000m, 5000m, and marathon in a vastly different era. With the 5000m still looming on the horizon, some questioned if stretching his program was a bridge too far, while others saw it as the mark of a competitor eager to test his limits.
Ultimately, Gulveer's campaign has taken his career progression to an entirely new stratosphere. In a sport where a lack of global gold can sometimes overshadow brilliant performances, his twin silvers are worth their weight in gold.
Two medals. Two distinct disciplines. Three breathless days. For Gulveer Singh, the question of whether to stay or go is answered every time he steps onto the track: he goes all in, rewriting the history of Indian long-distance. All eyes will now be on his 5000m event on Tuesday.
