Amlan Borgohain Sparks Support Row
Assam sprinter Amlan Borgohain slams state athletics body after national record, calling out lack of support and raising questions on athlete welfare.
In a world where records are broken and hearts are stirred, Assam’s very own sprint sensation Amlan Borgohain has once again dashed into history — but not without a heavy heart. As part of the men’s 4x100m relay team at the 2nd National Open Relay Carnival in Chandigarh, Amlan, along with Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur and Manikanta Hoblidar, clocked a blistering 38.69 seconds. Representing Reliance, the quartet left the previous national record of 38.89 seconds — untouched since 2010 — eating dust.
You’d think such an achievement would set off fireworks in his home state. Alas, Amlan’s victory lap has come with a sting in the tail.
Taking to the social media platform X, Amlan wrote a sharply worded post that’s been making the rounds faster than one of his relay splits:
“Assam has only one athlete currently representing India — and even after setting a national record, there’s no support from the Assam Athletics Association. No help with registration fees, no encouragement. How will Assam athletes grow like this?”
Ah! That one landed harder than a sprinter on gravel.
To put it plainly, while Amlan’s legs did the talking on the track, his words have lit a bonfire under the proverbial seats of the Assam Athletics Association. And rightly so. It’s all very well to thump your chest when an athlete wins, but where’s the backing when they’re slogging away behind the scenes, trying to make ends meet and still outrun the odds?
Here’s a lad from Assam, shouldering the dreams of a region often left off the sporting map, who’s not only making the cut nationally but rewriting the script altogether. Yet, the very organisation meant to support him appears to be missing in action, and not just figuratively. Registration fees? Not covered. Encouragement? As scarce as hen’s teeth.
While many in the state’s sports fraternity have now begun calling for a bit of soul-searching and urgent reform, the Assam Athletics Association has, so far, kept mum — not a peep, not even a token congratulatory note. Perhaps they’re hoping the storm will blow over. But with the winds of change howling louder than ever, that may be wishful thinking.
What Amlan’s post has done — apart from exposing the creaking system — is galvanise a conversation that’s long overdue. The message is simple: talent alone isn’t enough. It needs nurturing. It needs backing. And above all, it needs people in power to pull their socks up and do their jobs.
In the end, this is more than just a sprint story. It’s a cautionary tale. Because if Assam can’t look after its finest athlete — a national record-holder, no less — what hope is there for the next youngster with stars in their eyes and spikes on their feet?
For now, Amlan Borgohain keeps running, faster than ever — but it’s high time the state that birthed him caught up. Before more records are broken, and more hearts, too.
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