At the U-20 Federation Cup in Tumkur, Karnataka, Nitin Gupta delivered a performance that will be remembered for years. Clocking 18:54.37 in the U-20 5km race walk, the youngster from Uttar Pradesh not only won gold but also made history—becoming the first Asian ever to break the 19-minute barrier in the event. In the process, he set a new Asian record while improving his own national mark.
Speaking to NNIS Sports after the race, Nitin revealed that his preparation had been far from ideal. Just a day before the event, he was struggling with leg pain and uncertainty.
“I was worried the pain might return during the race,” he said.
Despite that, he stepped onto the track with a clear plan—to take control early and push for qualification. As the race unfolded, his body held up, and his confidence grew. By the final kilometre, the focus had shifted.
“I needed to push my pace from 3:45 to 3:40. Because even hearing ‘18’ sounds good,” he said, summing up the mindset of an athlete chasing something bigger than just a win.
Earlier this year, Nitin clocked 41:44 in the 10km race walk in Chandigarh, continuing his steady rise. In 2025, he had already announced himself by breaking the 40-minute barrier in the 10km event (39:46.78), setting a national record that underlined his potential.
At the Asian U-18 Championships, he missed out on gold by just 0.01 seconds—a loss that still lingers.
“For me, the biggest moment is hearing the national anthem,” he said. “0.01 second pain still drives me. I want to achieve at the Asian U-20 Championships what I missed there.”
With his latest performance, Nitin has qualified for both the Asian U-20 Championships and the World U-20 Championships. But for him, qualification is not the goal—it’s just the starting point.
“Performing like this only in domestic competitions is not enough,” he said. “I want to do it at the international level with good technique.”
That ambition may be the most telling part of his journey.