Hockey player turned-800m and 1500m runner Pooja hopes to max benefits of her impressive stride length

However, the youngster didn’t start with Athletics as her first choice sport back in teenage. In 2017, 15-year-old Pooja stepped in the SAI Training Center, Badal (Punjab) after successfully clearing the hockey trials for the residential program run by the center.

“I started as a hockey player at the SAI Center. But one of the coaches of running, Saurabh sir spotted me and asked me turn to Athletics. Once I started running, I never looked back,” Pooja told The Indian Express.

“It was an interesting scenario of how she took up running. During her early days, the hockey coaches were absent for some days and I was asked to train them in basic drills. I took the kids for running and saw Pooja’s perfect rhythm while running. After seeing her run, I asked her to take Athletics and she readily agreed,” Pooja’s coach Saurabh Yadav recalled how she transitioned to athletics.

After Pooja picked up athletics, she started with 2000m in the U-16 category and later switched to 800m and 1500m when she entered the U-18 category. “I started from the very grassroots level. In 2019, I participated in the Asian U18 championships winning silver medal. I wasn’t that mature at the junior level but the motivation to represent India kept me going,” said Pooja.

While her performances at the junior level caught everyone’s eyes, coach Saurabh believes that her adaptability makes her a very good potential in the middle distance running. “We saw the potential in early days. Pooja’s stride length and rhythm while running makes her a very good middle distance runner. Her stride length is accurate when it comes to running efficiently. Another good thing is that she can change pace according to the needs of the race,” said Saurabh, who has been training Pooja since start of her career.

Pooja with coach Saurabh Kumar Yadav.

Pooja has benefited from the stiff competition at the national level in 800m and 1500m with the likes of Harmilan Bains, KM Deeksha, Chanda, and Lily Das constantly outperforming each other. “We have a good competition at the National level. I have been running for more than four years in the senior circuit and the competition here prepared me for the international tournaments. So, when I took the field at Asian Athletics in Korea, I wasn’t thinking of anything. Since, I have faced tough competition back at home, my only focus was to run with all my strength,” she explained.

Pooja did her personal best in 800m when she clocked 2:01.89 to win bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships and her season best in 1500m is 4:10.83 which she clocked in the same event. However, coach Saurabh is not happy with her performance in 1500m and believes that she can easily improve in the discipline. “She has done well in 800m at the continental level but she hasn’t shown her full potential in the 1500m event. Her personal best last came in 2023 National Inter-State Athletics (4:09.52) but she has been hovering around the same mark.”

When Pooja was asked how she feels about her performance, she said,” It was my first international trip and I was not thinking about the results much but the timings came out to be good and I am happy that I came back home with multiple medals.”

With experience of international tournaments under her belt, she wants to compete in more international tournaments and that is the plan for the season ahead. “It is important for her to play more and more international competitions as it would lead to more improvement in her timings. The only reason she did her personal best in 800m was because of the strong competition in the race. One good thing in international competitions is that there are pace setters in almost every race and it helps the athlete. You just have to follow the race and execute your strategy of acceleration,” said Saurabh.

“I want to keep my mind free of any kind of stress and just run in the international tournaments. For me the target is to improve my timings this year,” concluded Pooja

Key Results in 2025:

800m
2:01.89- Asian Athletics Championships, Korea- Bronze medal
2:02.78- Taiwan Athletics Open, Gold medal

1500m
4:10.83- Asian Athletics Championships, Korea, Silver medal
4:11.63- Taiwan Athletics Open, Gold medal