New Delhi: Harshita Jakhar has achieved one thing uncommon in Indian biking this season. The 18-year-old rider received a second consecutive bronze medal on the Asian (Junior) Highway Biking Championships in February. A medal in a street biking occasion that assessments endurance and pace in powerful circumstances is a feat unmatched in Indian biking. Harshita first completed on the rostrum in particular person time trial on the Asian junior meet in Kazakhstan final yr, repeating it this yr in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand.
Harshita Jakhar has been included within the TAGG scheme. (HT)
In particular person time trial, riders race solo and their place is set on their timing, the quickest ending first. On monitor, she fared higher, successful 4 medals in junior occasions on the February Asian Monitor Biking Championships in Malaysia. The 2 meets (street and monitor) had been scheduled inside a fortnight, and Harshita in between even discovered time to come back to India and write her twelfth exams.
The performances have set her aside, being marked as an ‘exceptional talent’ to be groomed below the Goal Asian Video games Group programme. Youngsters Maya Rajeswaran in tennis and Kartik Singh in golf are the opposite juniors picked on this class. Their progress can be monitored on this Olympic cycle.
Harshita, educated by her uncle and former India bicycle owner Rakesh Jakhar, has been making waves domestically in the previous couple of seasons. She has emerged as India’s high junior, successful medals and breaking data within the age-group nationals and Khelo India occasions. Harshita set a sub-junior nationwide file in 2022 and a junior nationwide mark in 2023, each in 2km particular person pursuit.
Harshita hails from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, however has her base in Patiala as a result of Jakhar – a railways ticket inspector – is posted there. Jakhar additionally trains Harshita’s sister Anjali, and his son Aditya.
“In my first international competition in Almaty last year, I was nervous. It made me train harder but I am more comfortable now,” says Harshita. “To compete at the world championships was a good experience. In Zurich (UCI Junior Road Cycling World Championships), my cycle had a problem but I was able to finish the race. In the junior track world championships (China), I finished 12th in the points race. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
Indian biking has seen gifted juniors over the previous couple of years. The category of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh Yanglem received a first-ever gold for India on the junior monitor biking world championships in 2019. Since then, many juniors have been groomed below the TOPS developmental programme. However it has been troublesome to breakthrough on the senior worldwide degree. At Hangzhou, none of India’s 14-member squad got here near a medal. Qualifying for the Olympics is a far harder problem. Extra junior abilities are anticipated to be added to the scheme. India have received three silver medals and a bronze on the Asian Video games biking competitors.
Harshita’s focus can be on the 2026 Nagoya Asian Video games. She can be coaching for Omnium — a a number of race occasion that includes scratch race, particular person pursuit, elimination race and time trial. It’s an Olympic occasion.
“We’ll cut down on road races and focus on track events. With Asian Games as the target, we will work towards building endurance. At the junior world championships in September, she will compete in individual pursuit, her pet event, and points race. Next year, she will compete in seniors at the Asian Championships. It will be a good build up for the Asian Games,” says coach Jakhar, who holds an NIS teaching diploma.
“For track training, we used to go to Punjabi University, which is close to our house. It has a 500m cycling track. From last year, she has been going to NIS Patiala to train before competitions. The centre has a full track,” he says.
Budding junior cyclists practice on the NCOE centre in Patiala. Harshita has not opted for that. “We don’t want to disturb her schooling. The NCOE centre is bit far off from our house. She has just taken permission to train on the Patiala track,” says Jakhar, who has competed within the Asian Championships and Commonwealth Video games.
Earlier than internationals, Harshita involves Delhi for nationwide camps on the Indira Gandhi Stadium Advanced, which has a picket monitor. “She has been improving with every tournament. She has good endurance and speed, but needs to develop race strategies. That matters a lot in internationals,” he says.