Indian athlete Parvej Khan made his country proud on foreign shores after winning the 1500m gold medal at the SEC Outdoor Track And Field Championships at James G. Pressly Stadium in Florida, United States on Saturday, May 11 (local time). (More Sports News)
Still only 19, Khan qualified for the final with a timing of 3:44:98 in Heat 3 -- a run which witnessed a stunning final kick and some showboating which elicited some loud cheers from those who turned up to watch the next-generation stars scorch the track and field.
After sealing a final spot, the youngster had said: "1500m was easy for me. I did not give my 100 per cent in that race because I had 800m just after that. I was going at a comfort pace and only pushed in the final 200."
And 24 hours later, he stood on the podium, twice. Earlier in the day, he had also won a bronze in the 800m race.
Khan's video went viral on social where he was seen overtaking his competitors on the racing track in Heat 3 of the 1500, and started celebrating ahead of the finish line.
NCAA Championships is one of the prestigious collegiate competitions in the USA with athletes from various institutes, represented by global talents, fighting for the glory.
Earlier in March this year, Khan had finished seventh in the one-mile track event final in one of the NCAA Championships events. He had clocked 4:03:05, having become the first Indian to qualify for the final of a track event at the NCAA Championships.
His exploits in the USA earned praise from Mahindra and Mahindra chairperson Anand Mahindra, who tweeted - "Pure Josh & Chutzpah..."
The industrialist, who is very active on the social media, posted Khan's video on X with the caption, "I had not heard of him till I saw this clip."
"But I hope his capability & his confidence is a glimpse into the future of Indian Track & Field!," Anand Mahindra said.
