Self-taught Suraj Mashi wins 5000m silver medal with borrowed spikes at KITG

Suraj Mashi and his few friends training at the athletics track in Nashik are busy doubling up as wide-eyed fan boys watching their seniors do the drills to improve their performance. Only difference being, they are busy taking mental notes that they can implement when they begin their training drills.

Suraj is part of a group of tribal athletes who can’t really afford to pay for a coach every month and have to rely on whatever help they could get to improve their performance as running is the only skill that has brought them this far and can one day change their life for the better.

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“The coaching fee is Rs 4000 per month. I can’t afford. I stay in Nashik to study and have to pay rent, which I earn from running races in Maharashtra and Gujarat. So, I train by myself and seek advice from seniors or Tribal department coaches when I get stuck,” said Suraj, who bagged the silver medal in the men’s 5000m race in the athletics competition in the Khelo India Tribal Games in Jagdalpur on Sunday.

Instead, Suraj pays Rs 300 a month to use the facility and trains with secondhand shoes and spikes. However, with his spikes quite worn out, he had to borrow a fellow runner’s spikes to compete in the Khelo India Tribal Games in Jagdalpur.

Suraj’s life is filled with struggles and self-reliance

Hailing from a small village in Mokhada Taluka of Palghar district, Suraj’s life has been a story of struggles and self-reliance. The first boy to be born on the back of four sisters to a daily wage labourer, Suraj, who belongs to the Warli tribe, has been on his own ever since he joined a state-government run Ashram Shala to study.

I make a living by participating in the local competitions, cross-country races, from which I earn around Rs 3000 to Rs 5000, every month. From that amount, whatever I manage to save I send it to my father, and also pay for my education, training and other requirements, said Suraj Mashi, who will turn 19 in June this year

It was during a sports event in the school, that he discovered running and ever since competing in races has been the stabilising force in a life with many ups and downs. When Suraj was in the 10th standard, his mother suffered a fall in the house and injured her hip and can’t walk any more. One of his elder sisters passed away last year and three of his younger brothers look up to him for guidance and support.

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After completing his school, Suraj moved to Nashik for further studies and fulfilling his sports aspirations but balancing the higher living costs and supporting his family has been a constant juggling act.

“I make a living by participating in the local competitions, cross-country races, from which I earn around Rs 3000 to Rs 5000, every month. From that amount, whatever I manage to save I send it to my father, and also pay for my education, training and other requirements,” said Suraj, who will turn 19 in June this year.

Getting a job is Suraj’s priority

After turning 18, Suraj attempted to get a job in the police department. While he did well in most of the physical tests, he could not clear the mandatory distance in Shotput and hence missed out.

While getting a job remains Suraj’s priority, he is confident that his performance at the Khelo India Tribal Games would lead to some positive change, pointing out that the Maharashtra government does give some cash awards for the medallists in Khelo India Games.