Hyderabad, May 20 -- The Indian media is focused on cricket. In the process, achievers in other sports are often denied the limelight. One such person who has not been given his due is India's most consistent track athlete Mohammed Afsal who has ruled the 800-metre races in India and Asia for several years.

Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath of Kerala is a specialist in the 800 metres (also called the two-lap race). Back in 2023 he won the silver medal against very strong runners in the Asian Games at Hangzhou in China. The race was won by Essa Kzwani of Saudi Arabia. The gold medal winner timed 1minute 48.05 seconds while Afsal timed 1 minute 48.43 seconds. So it was a fraction of a second that separated the first and second placed runners. ...