Punjab’s 12-yr-old sprinter trains with truck tyres at home, chasing Olympic dream
Twelve-year-old Tanveer Singh Sandhu from Amritsar has garnered attention with his unique “desi” workout routine. Training in a makeshift gym at home, he pulls tyres while running and also practises strength drills with heavy truck tyres on his back as he prepares for future junior world records in sprinting.
Dream of Olympics and 100 m sprint
Tanveer is a resident of Bariyamangal village in Amritsar and he dreams of winning an Olympic medal for India in the 100‑metre race. At present, he covers 100 metres in about 12.30 seconds and he is putting his hard strength and efforts to improve his timing, aiming for junior world‑level records.
Retired Army father builds home gym
His father, Bikramjit Singh is a retired Army officer. He retired around three years ago and then set up a simple gym at home for his son. A former boxing participant himself, he now acts as Tanveer’s personal coach and trains him for three to four hours every morning and evening. This father and son dual as coach and aspirants reminds of the movie, Dangal, where Amir Khan casted as the father trained in young daughters himself with minimal resources.
Tyres, ropes and weights for desi training
At Tanveer’s home gym, simple gym equipment are used like truck tyres, ropes and different types of weights to develop speed and strength. Sometimes Tanveer ties a tyre to his waist and sprints on the road, and at other times he places his feet on two tyres and does push‑up‑style exercises with heavy tyres stacked on his back to build shoulder and leg power.
Yoga to boost flexibility and height
Tanveer begins his morning session with several sets of Tadasana to help improve posture, balance and height. After that, his father makes him hold Dhanurasana and Bhujangasana for about a minute each in multiple sets so that his spine stays strong and his body position remains ideal for sprint running.
Professional coaching and diet
In recent days, the family has also sent Tanveer to a coach so that he can work on the way he sprints, from start to finish. He has been following the coach’s instructions, and he has been working on improving the way he does the 100 meters through technique rather than just strength.
Milk, protein-rich diets, and non-veg
The family maintains a cattle farm, and Tanveer consumes fresh milk right from there. His meal plan comprises protein-rich food items, and he is also given non-vegetarian food once or twice a week to expose his body to necessary training. A sixth-grade student, rural town with expectations attached, Tanveer is a class six student, weighs 34 kilograms, and also attends school along with having athletic training. In addition to the parents, the grandparents, relations, and the villagers are also supporting him and looking forward to seeing him compete in the Olympics as an Indian representative in the future.