LUCKNOW, Oct. 28 -- Even before she boarded her flight back home on Monday morning, ace runner Neeru Pathak had made up her mind that she wanted the top podium finish in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan to be held in September-October. Neeru's desire to become a champion at the Games is within reason. Her performances at the recent 4th Senior South Asian Athlete Championships in Ranchi were beyond imagination. The 19-year-old athlete demonstrated outstanding pedigree and relentless dedication across multiple track events, amassing a total of four medals-three gold and one bronze. "Now, I want to win a gold medal at the Asian Games next year. I told this to myself even before catching the flight home this morning," Neeru said on Monday, soon after she reached Akhlaq, almost 15 km away from Aligarh. With her four medals, Neeru has brought remarkable pride to both Nanakchand Sports Academy, where she is a Class 12 student, and India. She has cemented her status as one of the rising stars in athletics in the country. It was a show of her consistent growth over the past few seasons, as she also had three medals at the SAF Junior Athletics Championship in Chennai last year. Her foundation in sprinting and relay techniques was honed under the watchful guidance of Gaurav Tyagi in Meerut, where she has been training for the last four years. Neeru's medal tally began with an impressive gold in the 400m event, where her composure and strategic pacing helped her surge past rivals in the closing stretch. This victory was a testament to her endurance and tactical maturity-qualities essential for elite-level competition. She didn't stop here as she then added a second gold as part of India's 4x400m mixed relay team. Here, Neeru played a pivotal role in the crucial stages of the race, combining speed with seamless baton exchanges to secure the top podium finish for India. Her versatility in adapting to both gender-integrated and single-gender relay teams speaks volumes about her athletic intelligence and spirit of teamwork, as on the final day of the events on Sunday, Neeru anchored the women's 4x400m relay team to another gold. As the anchor leg runner-a position typically reserved for the fastest or most dependable team member-she showcased remarkable speed and nerve, powering her squad to victory and ensuring India's dominance in the relay disciplines. Rounding off her medal collection, Neeru then clinched the bronze in the fiercely competitive 200m sprint, clocking an impressive 24.06 seconds. One of seven sisters, Neeru grew up in a modest household, where her father's life as a farmer demanded grit and resilience from her from an early age. "It was my father who inspired me to take up athletics, as it didn't require too much funding, and I made sure that I would live up to the expectations of my father," she said. She also admitted that limited resources at the start of her sporting life meant her father had to work tirelessly to support the family, while her aspirations in athletics required disciplined commitment and creative solutions to overcome obstacles. "I know that excellence in sport can give me recognition, money and even a good government job, and that's my biggest dream as I want to do good for my family, especially to my father, who did his best to make me a good athlete," she added. Coach Gaurav Tyagi acknowledges Neeru's ability as a courageous athlete. "Even after failing to make any impact at the last Junior World Athletics Championship, Neeru didn't lose her commitment and kept working hard. Her three medals at the Open nationals this year are a testament to her courage, and I am hopeful that she will make a podium finish at the Asian Games," said Tyagi....