After missing out on a medal in the individual 100m event at the Asian Games in Japan, Punjab sprinter Gurindervir Singh bounced back as the Indian team won a bronze medal in the 4x100m mixed relay, clocking 41.06 seconds.The relay team comprised Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Sneha and Harita Bhadra.For Gurindervir’s first athletics coach and mentor, Sarabjit Singh Happy, the medal brought a sense of relief after the individual event.“I am glad ‘khaali haath nahi aaye’,” Sarabjit Singh Happy told The Tribune. He has been associated with Gurindervir for more than a decade.“After his individual run, there was disappointment. It would have been great if there had been a medal there too. But now, in this race, I am happy that he will come back with a medal,” he said.Gurindervir’s father, Kamaljit Singh, a retired ASI, also expressed his relief.“Eh zaruri si,” he told The Tribune. “We were eagerly waiting for this moment in the Games. The morale was a bit down after the individual run. He gave his best, but this win was important for him as well.”Gurindervir, who hails from Patial village in Bhogpur, Jalandhar, had earlier made headlines by setting a national record in the men’s 100m. He clocked a sensational 10.09 seconds earlier this year to become the fastest Indian in the event.


