Dinesh Kumar’s record-breaking form lifts Commonwealth Games expectations | Commonwealth Games News
Just days before boarding the flight to Glasgow for Commonwealth Games, Indian cyclist Dinesh Kumar sent out a timely reminder of his form by breaking his own national record once again.The Indian Air Force rider clocked 4:39.118 in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit at the selection trials, shaving nearly three seconds off his previous national record. He heads into his second Commonwealth Games with renewed confidence, where he will compete in the individual pursuit on Friday.After finishing 19th in the team pursuit on his Games debut in Birmingham in 2022, the 27-year-old believes he is in a much better place this time around.“I have prepared really well and will try to give my best,” Dinesh told TOI before leaving for Glasgow. “I definitely feel I can do much better than last time.”That confidence has been built over the past month and a half in Kazakhstan, where he trained at high altitude under coach Maxat Ayazbayev. The camp, based in Almaty, was designed with both the Commonwealth Games and next year’s Asian Games in mind.“We had just returned three days before the trials,” he said. “The weather there was very good. It wasn’t too hot and the conditions were ideal for training. High-altitude training helps a lot because when we come back down, our body adapts better to the oxygen levels.”Sadly, only two of India’s endurance cyclists — Dinesh and Harshveer Singh Sekhon — will be competing in Glasgow, while there will be four from the sprint squad and they continued their preparations in Delhi.For Dinesh, cycling has always been more than a sport. Growing up in Rourkela, he first picked up the bicycle during school competitions before earning selection to SAI academy in Delhi in 2015. But the spark came even earlier.“There was a senior rider from Rourkela named Parasuram. Watching him inspired me to take up cycling,” he recalled.More than a decade later, Dinesh is among India’s leading track cyclists, balancing elite sport with his job in the Indian Air Force, which he joined in 2017.Behind every international trip lies another challenge that most people never see — travelling with equipment worth nearly Rs. 18 lakhs. Dinesh carries at least two bicycles to every major competition and this time it will be a Rs.10 lakh track bike and a Rs.8 lakh road bike.“We remove the wheels and handlebars, pack them and carry them ourselves. It takes around 10 minutes. It’s part of our job, so we don’t really worry about it,” he said. A mechanic also accompanies the team to help assemble and service the bicycles during competitions.Despite representing India at the highest level, Dinesh, however, feels cycling still has a long way to go in Odisha. “States like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Karnataka have many cyclists competing nationally and internationally,” he said. “Odisha is improving, but we still have some catching up to do.”His journey has not been entirely smooth. In 2018, Dinesh suffered a broken collarbone, an injury that could have derailed his career. Instead, he recovered, and won his first-ever cycling gold medal in the Under-21 30km individual event at 2020 Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati.Now, with a fresh national record on his legs and weeks of high-altitude training to boost, Dinesh will hope his second Commonwealth Games turns out to be a significant improvement over his first campaign.
