A 22 year old who started his athletic journey since his school days, Varun Singh Bhati is someone who can’t be forgotten when it’s anything about Athletics. A champion in high-jump, he is awarded with the second most prestigious sporting honour, the Arjuna Award. High-jumper, Bhati revealed to the imd1 team that he was initially a basketball player but, gave it a shot to high-jump when his teacher saw the talent in him.

Team imd1 is on a motivational high after meeting this jumper! Read on to join us!

We are really keen to know, how did your journey begin?

I have been a basketball player since my early years in school, and my teachers always wanted me to give a try in ‘high jump.’ And that"s where it all started! I tried my luck at the sport and bagged the second place. Later, I went on winning medals at the State and National level competitions.

Beyond Athletics

What’s your success mantra?

I believe working hard is the utmost requirement for success. And I keep working hard no matter what the consequences are. Persistence and hard work are the success mantras for me.

What were the hardships / hurdles you encountered and the way you overcame them in your journey?

When, I lost my world championship, it was really hard to overcome that defeat. At that time, my coach helped me a lot. He always taught me to keep my focus intact because that is the only thing that can help one to cope up with the defeat. One really needs to be straightforward and keep working hard in the same direction

During the Asian games at South Korea in 2014, I really took the defeat seriously. More than the defeat, I was dejected by the poor performance of mine. My coach, Mr. Satyanarayana (Dronacharya Award nominee) has to be credited for helping me at that turning point. He always believed in me, he knew I had the potential and that is why he motivated me to never give up and try my best. He supported me throughout and cheered me up. I could survive that failure only because of his motivation.

Do you think Athletics and its learning’s can be helpful in life even if one does not want to consider it as a career goal?

Athletics has been of great help to me. It gave me a lot of exposure! It gave me the exact motive for what I am living my life. It just boosts my confidence to another level. I feel Athletics can help anyone in life. It is not just about the game, but a morale and discipline booster.

Who has been your influencer in this journey & how?

Initially, I learnt high jump using YouTube. I was influenced by those videos to an extent. Further, my coach, Mr. Satyanarayan has been a key influencer in my journey and my school St. Josephs as well. I"d give a lot of credit to my school, St. Josephs for encouraging me to begin this journey and supporting it throughout.

Which was “that” moment when you considered yourself as “I am the 1”?

It was in the year 2012, while I was in Varanasi for my championship. I had not only won the championship but, had set a new record too. That was my “I am the 1” moment. This moment assured me of going ahead with High Jump as my core career.

Did you get any formal training and how was that journey?

My school encouraged training in high jump through various activities. Further I learnt from my coach and have been consistently learning and improving on this sport.

Could you reflect on the importance of systematic training in Athletics?

Athletics is meant to be systematic. Talking about high jump, it has certain norms, like you have to give at least 10 days time for the practice of high jump. In high jump, one has to focus mainly on his lower body and back. If one does not take this part of the training in the correct manner, it can prove to be very fatal.

What are the pre-coaching essentials e.g. Right age, mindset or any other?

Your basic requirement for high jump is your interest in the sport. Other than that, height can be a prior requirement. After the age of 10, it"s suitable to practice high jump.

Technology and scientific training has been changing the way people get trained in Athletics. What’s your take?

New techniques always help us evolve in our area of specialisation. YouTube and social media provides me with new ideas and innovative ways to improve my efficiency of high jump. It exposes me a lot to other players and new additions in this sport

How can one select an ideal ‘Guru’ for getting formal training for Athletics?

Without a coach, high jump isn"t possible. Whatever highs you reach in your career, there"s always some scope of improvement and that can be eyed only through a coach. No one else has the ability to pinpoint our mistakes and focus on the areas of improvement. To have an ideal Guru by your side, you should be friendly with the coach and check your comfort level with the coach

What according to you, can be a scope for improvement in training for Athletics in India?

Now, the training for high jump has improved a lot. For making things better, I feel there should be many more high jump coaches in India.

What do you suggest for better accessibility of Athletics in remote parts of India?

For better accessibility, more competitions for high jump need to be conducted. It needs to be started at the primary level itself, that is school. An increase in the number of coaches and the technology based exposure can make a difference.

In your opinion, what are the basic key traits apart from formal training that make “imd1”?

First and foremost is the willpower. And that is all for me. My willpower makes me work hard for all that I want in life.

Your piece of advice to parents and new generation especially when some people are skeptical about career in extra curriculum

I have been to many schools and events for giving speeches, and all I say to parents is that every student can"t be a doctor or an engineer. Their interests and hobbies should be motivated. Every child’s potential is different from others. For children, my advice is keep working hard, never get disheartened.

How can one identify and encourage talent in the family?

I was fortunate to start young. Talent needs to identified at school and home. This needs to be then encouraged by conducting competitions and complete guidance.