In a sport where a single decade can exhaust the human body, 35-year-old sprinter Srabani Nanda is currently redefining the rules of athletic longevity.
Fresh off anchoring the Indian women’s 4x100m relay team to a spectacular Gold medal finish at the Asian Relay Championships in China, Nanda’s career is stretching past its 24th year. The Indian quartet – comprising Nanda, SS Sneha, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Tamanna – clocked a season-best 43.85 seconds to clinch the top spot, turning them into fierce medal contenders for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
But for Nanda, the true victory isn’t just measured in gold or split seconds; it is measured in the purity of her journey.
In an era where Indian athletics is frequently forced to battle the shadow of doping scandals, Nanda stands out as a beacon of clean sport. Speaking to the Press Trust of India, the veteran track athlete revealed that keeping her body free of any prohibited substances is her ultimate source of strength.
“I will definitely say that it is very important to stay clean and that gives a lot of confidence. And you can focus on your competition,” Nanda told PTI.
“We must change the mindset from ‘we can’t do without drugs’ to ‘we can do without drugs’. We have to make sure that we keep our body healthy and we should not play with our body. And naturally, the prohibited drugs would even make your body deteriorate in the long run.”
Hailing from Tikabali in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, Nanda’s journey began in 2002 when she joined the Government Sports Hostel. The daughter of a local collectorate clerk and a school headmistress, her talent quickly propelled her into the international arena. By 2007, she was representing India at the World Youth Championships in Ostrava.
Over nearly two and a half decades, she has quietly built a stunning resume. She secured a Commonwealth Games bronze in 2010, an individual Asian Championship 200m bronze in 2015, and standard relay medals including a silver in 2025. She even reached the pinnacle of sport, competing in the 200m sprint at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
20 YEARS OF TOIL
Yet, staying at the top for over 20 years requires a punishing physical toll. Nanda admits that the temptation to walk away has knocked on her door more than once.
“There were so many times I thought of it. In training, it is so hard. Sometimes I vomit in the training but have to still get up and do the next repetition,” she said.
“I get so tired, so frustrated when at times I don’t achieve the goal… but I have to hold myself up and think for the coming days.”
To sustain her world-class speed, Nanda, who is currently employed by the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation, has traveled the globe to find inspiration. She has trained in South Africa and Australia, and during the heights of the 2020 pandemic, she relocated to Jamaica. There, she trained and raced alongside global sprinting legends Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – an experience she credits with teaching her how to master the mental aspect of elite competition.
As she competes in the 100m and 200m events at the ongoing National Inter-State Senior Championships – which serve as the crucial selection trials – her focus remains fixed on the horizon. Despite her massive haul of continental hardware, an Asian Games medal has eluded her in two previous attempts.
With the momentum of a fresh Asian Gold behind her, Nanda is ready to rewrite that final script.
“For this season, the main goal is the Asian Games and I am hoping for the best.” (WIth PTI Inputs)
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