Global IndianstoryHarvinder Singh: Indian archer scripted history at 2024 Paris Paralympics

Harvinder Singh: Indian archer scripted history at 2024 Paris Paralympics

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(September 9, 2024) It was one fateful day in 1992 that at the age of one and a half, Harvinder Singh was accompanied by his father to a local clinic after contracting dengue. However, a wrong injection from the doctor impacted his mobility, leaving his left leg impaired. A painful memory that has been haunting them for decades now but the 33-year-old archer redeemed himself when he scripted history by becoming the first Indian archer to win gold in the Paralympics. It was in Set 3 of Para Archery Men’s Individual Recurve Open that Harvinder scored a 29 beating Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek, thus making him clinch a gold for India at the Paris Paralympics 2024. “To see him win his second Paralympic medal and this time a gold helps us erase memories of that day in 1992,” his father Paramjeet Singh told a daily.

PM Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate the archer on his epic victory. He wrote, “A very special Gold in Para Archery! Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024! His precision, focus, and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment.”

A very special Gold in Para Archery!

Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024!

His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment.… pic.twitter.com/CFFl8p7yP2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2024

“Archery is a game of unexpected. Everything can happen. I focused on every arrow. Only the next arrow counts,” he said.

Intrigued by archery

Born in a farmer family in Haryana’s Kaithal district, Harvinder was confined to indoors at a very young age due to immobility. Growing up, he surrounded himself with books to get good marks. It was while studying at the Punjabi University in Patiala that he first encountered the sport while watching archers train at the university in 2010. Intrigued, he spent a few hours gazing at the players. It was the 2012 London Olympics that further stoked his interest in the sport, and he decided to take up archery.

He began training under coach Gaurav Sharma and soon started competing in compound events. Three years later, he switched to recurve where his biggest challenge was working on his posture and balance. But with persistence and hard work, he was able to win multiple medals in para nationals in 2016 and 2017.

Harvinder Singh receives Arjuna Award

International debut

The same year, he made his international debut at the 2017 Para Archery World Championships, finishing seventh. His hard work paid off when he won a gold medal against Chinese Zhao Lixue at the 2018 Asian Para Games, a major achievement in his growing career. The victory held deep emotional significance for him, as it came just 20 days after his mother’s passing. He dedicated the medal in her honour, saying, “I lost my mother just 20 days before the competition, so I felt a lot of pressure, mentally. I have lost many things in my life, even my mother, so I had to take a medal from there and luckily, I won. All that is because of my hard work and the blessings of my mother.”

Ever since there has been no looking back for this Indian archer who secured a bronze in the Tokyo Paralympics. However, the pandemic made the training difficult for Harvinder. With all training facilities shut down, his father turned his farm into an archery range to support his son’s ambition. “I was planning to compete in Korea after training in the USA but the lockdown didn’t let me. Since the wheat season was over, my father ploughed a major portion of our farm to make the archery field for me to train. Also, coach Gaurav Sharma made me simulate shoot-off conditions too,” the archer had said.

Harvinder Singh at Tokyo Paralympics

Scripting history at Paralympics

Also an economics scholar, Harvinder had to juggle between completing his Ph.D in Labour Reforms from Punjabi University with preparation for the Paris Paralympics. His coach Gaurav revealed that Harvinder often turned to books to relax during shooting days. “That has helped him a lot in keeping the pressure off from his mind.”

At the Paris Paralympics, he was focused and aimed for the top podium finish. “In Tokyo, I won bronze, so I’m happy I could change the colour of my medal. Before the (Paris) Games, everybody told me I had a chance to reach gold, and I’m happy I was able to,” he said in an interview.

Harvinder, overjoyed after the medal ceremony, said, “It feels amazing. I’m truly blessed to achieve this for India.” His key to success is focusing on a perfect final shot, a strategy that helped him reach his goal in Paris. “Confidence is everything. The arrow might land at nine sometimes, but you have to aim for a 10 with your last shot,” he shared.

Harvinder Singh | Global Indian

Harvinder Singh etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in archery at the 2024 Paralympics. His journey, marked by perseverance and dedication, serves as an inspiration to many. Overcoming personal loss and the pressures of competition, Harvinder’s unwavering focus and belief in himself guided him to victory. By dedicating his win to both his country and his late mother, he not only achieved a personal milestone but also made his nation proud, solidifying his place as a trailblazer in Indian sports.

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Published on 09, Sep 2024

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HealTokyo gives Japanese India’s spirituality as Nupur Tewari helps them turn inwards

(April 12, 2022) Motivational speaker, spiritual healer, philanthropist, performance coach, and yoga instructor - there are many hats that Nupur Tewari dons. A journey that started in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district traversed many cities to find a home in Japan with her husband and daughter. There, this introspective soul founded HealTokyo, that helps people through yoga, meditation, positivity, and teachings from the Bhagavad Gita. Her wings spread to other countries as well, and Tewari was recognised for her efforts by the United Nations too. Rooted in Indian culture, Nupur has been spreading Indian culture in Japan through dance, yoga, food, and festivals. Her efforts have earned her the title of ‘unofficial ambassador of Japan’. “My family practiced yoga, and taught us lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. I grew up with those values. Since childhood, I wanted to do something for the community. Japan didn’t need money, but several people needed healing, and that was exactly what I could provide. So, I began free yoga sessions and counselling en masse to help the grief-stricken crowds,” shares Nupur in an interview with Global Indian. Testing times For a girl, who wanted to do something in life, growing up in a small village

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Testing times

For a girl, who wanted to do something in life, growing up in a small village wasn’t easy. Nupur walked four kilometers to school, and studied under the dim glow of a night lamp, as her village did not have electricity. The Nupur of today took those hardships and turned them around. She schooled at a Bengali-medium, and struggled with English, today though she is fluent. “I had very low self-esteem as a child,” shares Nupur, adding, “I was always lost in my own world, and was very shy. I always thought I was different from everyone else. Unlike other girls in my class, I wanted to explore the world outside my small village.”

[caption id="attachment_23149" align="aligncenter" width="502"] Nupur Tewari[/caption]

Although many girls in her village were married off early, she didn’t give up on her dreams of a good education. After completing her tenth, Nupur moved to Behrampur to study further. “It wasn’t an easy shift. I could hardly speak English while other students were fluent. My clothes were traditional too. I felt out of place,” shares the motivational speaker, adding that there would be times she would pretend to read something just to avoid conversations with her classmates.

A chance meeting that changed her life

During this time, an incident shook her. A man, who wanted to marry Nupur, pushed her into a drain after being rejected by her. To keep her safe, her parents sent Nupur to her grandparents in Berhampore. There Nupur did her undergrad in tourism and management from Calcutta University. Although she wanted to work, her family was against it. They wanted her married off. “It was my mother who helped me move out. I left for Kolkata, where I got a job at a hospitality firm,” says the spiritual healer.

[caption id="attachment_23151" align="aligncenter" width="712"] Nupur Tewari with her mother[/caption]

In the Land of the Rising Sun

Within months of shifting to Kolkata, Nupur landed a job at Mitsubishi, and her hard work and perseverance got her an opportunity in Japan in 2003. The spiritual healer found a new home in Japan. Its rich and welcoming culture gave her a sense of belonging, and soon she started incorporating Indian culture into Japanese lives at the International Centre. “History suggests that King Ashoka of Magadh had sent ambassadors to Japan. I feel I might have been one of them because I was right at home as soon as I arrived in Japan. I already had a connection with the land, and felt so liberated,” Nupur shares.

[caption id="attachment_23153" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A HealTokyo yoga class in session[/caption]

Making yoga, music, and dance come alive at the International Centre in Tokyo, when Japan crumbled under the devastating Kumamoto earthquake in 2015, Nupur knew she had to do something to help the common people. “Many people lost their homes, livelihood, and loved ones. I began free yoga sessions and counselling. Every session had a voluntary donation box into which anyone could contribute, all proceeds directed towards rehabilitation,” she shares.

Giving back to the community

The great response saw Nupur start the HealTokyo movement in 2017 to help combat the worrying yet increasing suicide rates, and the overtly anxious atmosphere in Tokyo. The spiritual healer conducts one session weekly, which is attended by at least 30 people. In 2018, Nupur also initiated the HealIndya movement by renovating a school in Aligarh and providing students with stationery, books, and uniforms. “I had faced many struggles in my childhood, and I did not want any other child to go through that,” she says.

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Her efforts were recognised by the United Nations, and she was appointed to help Sri Lanka mentally recover from the devastating effect of floods and other natural calamities. She organised several yoga sessions, collecting about Rs 70,000, which was donated to help people rebuild their lives in Sri Lanka. Many foundations, including the Global MICE, India Star Book of Records, and the Nargis Dutt Foundation also appreciated and recognised her efforts.

[caption id="attachment_23154" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Nupur Tewari with her daughter, Mihika[/caption]

Nupur, who loves to spend time with her family whenever she gets some time, is a proud mother of a 13-year-old Mihika. “She is an amazing person, and I am very proud to be her mother. Even at a young age she is kind and takes care of everyone,” shares Nupur. Currently, Nupur is working on introducing the Japanese way of learning in an Aligarh school, the roots of which lie in self-empowerment – from cleaning rooms, polishing shoes, and training to be self-sufficient.

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Shaunak Sen’s ‘All That Breathes’ bags Oscar nomination

(February 2, 2022) In January 2022, Delhi filmmaker Shaunak Sen's documentary All That Breathes bagged the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival. There has been no looking back since. A few months later, Sen was off to Cannes, making finding himself a place in the history of Indian cinema as the first documentary filmmaker to make it to the prestigious film. The film went on to win the 2022 L'Oeil (Golden Eye) for best documentary, at the 75th edition of the festival, which also happened to be celebrating Indian cinema. A BAFTA nomination followed a few months later and soon after, the Oscars came calling. In January 2023, All That Breathes secured a nomination for Best Documentary at the 95th Academy Awards. The call came at 2 am, Sen said, shortly after receiving his Oscar nomination and "of course, it was an utterly sleepless night." He's still waiting for the news to sink in, he admitted, in the interview. "The Indian non-fiction circuit has fared better over the last few years than the fiction films," Sen told Global Indian. With The Elephant Whisperer also receiving an Oscar nomination and documentaries like Writing With Fire and House of Secrets: The

car nomination and documentaries like Writing With Fire and House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths capturing mainstream audiences from around the world, the truth of his words is evident. Shaunak's 2015 debut documentary, Cities of Sleep, was shown at over 25 international festivals and won six awards.

Back in 2018, Sen happened to hear of two brothers in Delhi who had dedicated their lives to rescuing and rehabilitating the city's injured kites. The trail led Shaunak to a derelict basement, cluttered with out-of-use metal cutting machines - an unlikely spot for a tale of such poignance. It was in this cold and decrepit spot, however, that the two brothers sat huddled, tending, even at that moment, to an injured bird. They led him to the terrace, where an even more surreal scene awaited. In a giant enclosure overlooking a sea of blackened rooftops, hundreds of black kites waited for their wounds to heal, after which they would be released. Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes is the story of these two brothers and their remarkable acts of kindness in an otherwise unforgiving city, where rats, cows, crows, dogs and people all jostle for space and survival.

The world of narratives and storytelling

"For as long as I can remember, I cannot recall a time when I wasn't interested in making films." As kids, when he and his classmates were asked to write essays about what they want to be, Shaunak would talk of theatre and film. "Even in school, there was an inherent obsession with reading," Shaunak says, which translated into a general love for narratives and storytelling.

Bluebells, the school Shaunak went to in Delhi, encouraged students to participate in extra-curricular activities, giving them a rich selection of choices. Shaunak was drawn to theatre, debates and quizzes, "the whole gamut of what makes up ECA in Delhi. I was interested in all of it." Graduating with English honours from Delhi University, Shaunak threw himself full-time into the "world of narratives" as he puts it. Kirori Mal College's theatre society was well known, "an old and hallowed group," he says. Being part of the society was a formative experience, "Rigour and precision were expected of all of us in the group.” He did his masters in filmmaking at Jamia Millia Islamia and a PhD from JNU.

[caption id="attachment_24754" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Filmmaker Shaunak Sen's 'All That Breathes' takes over Cannes 2022 Shaunak Sen[/caption]

Delhi’s ‘renegade sleepers’

Shaunak has always had trouble sleeping. "I have had intense patches of insomnia," he says and from there grew an organic intrigue with the subject of sleep. "I chanced upon a text, Jacques Ranciere's Nights of Labour, which looks at sleep through a different socio-political lens," he says. From there began a series of visits to night shelters in Delhi, as Shaunak explored the idea of an urban space through the lens of its "renegade sleepers." From this emerged Cities of Sleep, Shaunak's debut documentary film, a portrait of Delhi through the eyes of people who sleep on its streets.

Delhi is home to some two million homeless people, according to the official figures. Many believe the real number is almost double. "The night shelters can only house an infinitesimal fraction of the total number of homeless people," Shaunak says. But everybody needs to sleep and hundreds of informal, slapdash businesses have sprung up to cater to the swathes of homeless people. "Sleep infrastructure," including bedsheets, blankets and maybe even a bed, are provided at nominal rates - and business is thriving. They have been somewhat unthinkingly dubbed 'the sleep mafia' by the media, a term that Shaunak confesses makes him "a bit uneasy."

Made by a young team and shot on a proverbial shoestring budget, Cities of Sleep was a critical success, making its international debut at DOK Leipzig in Germany. It was also named the Best Documentary at the Seattle South Asian Film Festival.

Filmmaker Shaunak Sen's 'All That Breathes' takes over Cannes 2022

All That Breathes

In All That Breathes, Shaunak paints what he calls "a dystopian picture postcard of Delhi in the 1990s." "My first sense of tone was the sense we always have in Delhi, of gray, hazy skies and air purifiers humming everywhere. And in this all-encompassing grey, monotony, you can see birds flying around." Mohammad and Nadeem presented a compelling story, driving what is otherwise a silent lament for a city in tatters.

The idea had begun a few months prior, around the end of 2018, when Shaunak was in the midst of a short-term Charles Wallace Fellowship at Cambridge University. There, housed in the department of Geography, he was surrounded by people working on different kinds of human-animal relationships. Working with his interlocutor, Dr Mann Baruah, the concept first entered his "philosophical ambit" at the end of 2018.

Such a long journey

The film involved nearly three years of shooting. "These films take long to make anyway. The idea is for the characters to get comfortable enough for the director to capture a sense of tone. You want the viewers to understand the passage of time, the quality of everyday life, to pick up on the emotions the filmmaker is putting out," says Shaunak.

[caption id="attachment_24755" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Filmmaker Shaunak Sen's 'All That Breathes' takes over Cannes 2022 A still from 'All That Breathes'[/caption]

He headed to Copenhagen for the final cut, where he sought out editor Charlotte Munch Bengsten. In Denmark with his co-editor Vedant Joshi, Shaunak received the news that the film had got through at the Sundance Festival, the world's largest platform of its kind, for 2022. "We worked feverishly to make it all happen," he says. Their efforts paid off: Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes became the first Indian film to win the Grand Jury Award.

All That Breathes is what is often called a "sleeper hit," with its renown mainly through word of mouth.

The creative process

As a filmmaker, Shaunak's process begins with being drawn to a broader conceptual idea, whether it's sleep or the human-animal relationship. "Then, I start looking for people whose lives embody that idea," Shaunak explains. "The specificity of their lives takes on the impact of blunt force - these are the tools I use. My style is observational, controlled and aesthetised, especially in comparison with the handheld, gritty feel of Cities of Sleep." His work is a juxtaposition of fictional storytelling in service of the documentary world. "It's what I want to do in the future as well - marry these two styles. Even a documentary should have that lyrical, poetic flow."

The film comes with an important social message but Shaunak shies away from taking what could be conceived as an overly preaching tone. "If you look at anything long enough, whether it's the homeless people or two brothers rescuing birds, it starts registering itself on every level - social, emotional and political," he says, adding, "I don't take an overt social approach, it sort of seeps in on its own."

Filmmaker Shaunak Sen's 'All That Breathes' takes over Cannes 2022

Optimistic future

He's already on the hunt for his next project, "reading a lot and examining vague themes at the moment." And there's room for exploration. India is a good place to be for a documentary filmmaker, gone are the days of scrambling for funds and catering to niche audiences. "The toolkit of cinematic language was greatly limited," Shaunak remarks. A steady rise is evident, though, with Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa’s Katiyabaaz (Powerless), Vinod Shukla’s An Insignificant Man, the 2021 documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing directed by Payal Kapadia and Shaunak's own work, all winning prizes on international platforms.

Follow Shaunak on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 mins

Indian-Malaysian Elwinder Singh is revolutionalising the healthcare world with empathy

(August 11, 2022)Two things set apart Elwinder Singh from his family legacy. Firstly, the third-generation Malaysian citizen chose to establish his empire in India when his father and grandfather had worked in the country that was formerly known as the Federation of Malaya. Secondly, he chose the path of entrepreneurship when there had not been any entrepreneur in the family, rather people holding white collar jobs for generations. However, the decision to delve into patient care as co-founder of Connect and Heal certainly has a family connection to it. “My dad had diabetes and cardiovascular problems, and his health condition was deteriorating. Despite developed healthcare facilities in Kuala Lumpur, I realised how difficult it is to sail through patient care,” he informs Global Indian during a conversation. [caption id="attachment_27965" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Elwinder Singh, cofounder, Connect & Heal[/caption] It took lots of time and effort for Elwinder and his family to ensure a coordinated care solution handholding in every single health intervention of his father. With the right support, the senior Singh regained his health, and at the same time, the seed of a different career path germinated in Elwinder’s mind. He was just back after completing his bachelor’s degree from

eal[/caption]

It took lots of time and effort for Elwinder and his family to ensure a coordinated care solution handholding in every single health intervention of his father. With the right support, the senior Singh regained his health, and at the same time, the seed of a different career path germinated in Elwinder’s mind. He was just back after completing his bachelor’s degree from the University of Warwick, London, and was working at Roger Berger, Malaysia during that time.

Stumbling upon a vision

India, the country of Elwinder’s family’s origin, enjoys a very special place in their hearts. Challenges while dealing with his father’s ailments led Elwinder to think hard about how distressing it might be for many people back home to tackle patient care, right from obtaining the correct advice, to running from one specialist to another for the appropriate treatment. in a country with a population of 136 crores.

Struck with the desire to do his bit and weighing the possibilities of a successful health venture, he made a move to India. Thus began the journey of Connect & Heal which stands by its vision to ‘deliver healthcare with empathy.’

India provided a platform to make a difference

“In India and other emerging markets, the scale of fragmentation in healthcare is amplified,” says the Malaysia-born entrepreneur. While brainstorming all aspects before making the big move, Elwinder identified the huge potential to touch lives and make a difference in the country.

“We are four partners and the CEO of the organisation, Sanjay Vinayak has 20 years of experience working in India,” tells Elwinder emphasising how putting the plan into action in a country where he hardly knew anybody, except a few distant relatives, became possible.

[caption id="attachment_27966" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Indian Entrepreneur | Elwinder Singh | Global Indian Galveender Kaur, Sanjay Vinayak, Prashant Kashyap and Elwinder Singh, founders, Connect & Heal | Picture courtesy: Business World[/caption]

Connecting the dots

The fact that his sister Galveender Kaur, a former investment banker, joined hands as a co-founder in taking forward Elwinder’s purpose in life made things brighter.

“Starting in 2016 with Mumbai, Connect & Heal now has a pan-India presence in 300 cities,” informs the entrepreneur whose healthcare venture has touched six million lives so far. The organisation has been providing last mile delivery of healthcare in not just big towns, but also in far-flung areas. Choosing the B2B route, it runs 250 plus on-site clinics in tie-up with one of the largest employers of India to manage primary care of their employees and their families.

“We are also the country’s largest network of private sector ambulances on an aggregated model to bring down response time in navigating emergencies,” he informs. Connect & Heal is currently serving 8,000 pin codes for home delivery of pharmacy and diagnostics services.

Enjoying the new phase

Elwinder’s transition from coming to India rarely during his childhood to living in the country as its resident and enjoying its myriad vibrant hues, is something that he dearly cherishes. “Work has led me to travel to different parts of India and experience it in the true sense, he says,” with a smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0X2t6nqRI8

Catering to the healthcare needs of the country during the pandemic as a health warrior has been an exhilarating experience for the young entrepreneur, who has made it to 2022’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Talking about the peak time of the pandemic, he mentions, “Crisis is opportunity to serve and find a solution.” Swearing by the powers of health-tech, he remarks, “Technology stepped up to bridge the gap that was created by the lockdown.”

Basking in entrepreneurship

“Things do not always happen according to plans but being able to adapt, having plan B, and being quick on the feet to navigate the situation is what it takes,” he says talking about his success as an entrepreneur. “I am blessed with a good team,” he adds.

Connect & Heal’s thousand-plus strong team size combines non-medical and medical service-providing partners committed to improving the overall health outcome for patients through primary care, preventive care, emergency assistance, covid assistance, and hospitalisation assistance. “We are in midst of unveiling a top-of-the-line technology platform which will get rolled out very soon,” informs the young entrepreneur, whose went to a Malay-medium school. “My Hindi is reasonably good now and I am catching up with Punjabi, quite well,” he signs off with a smile.

Follow Elwinder Singh on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Shikha Tandon: Olympian and Arjuna Awardee bridging sports and AI innovation

(May 22, 2024) An Olympian and Arjuna awardee, Shikha Tandon is a champion swimmer who created 75 national records, won 146 national medals, and 37 medals in international competitions, including five golds. The swimmer-turned-biotechnologist serves as the Chief Resilience and Partnership Officer of USA based AI-powered physical training and human performance intelligence company, Svexa. Shikha is also an advisory board member of Bridges of Sports Foundation, a nonprofit creating a sustainable sports ecosystem impacting social development through sports in rural and semi-urban India. Growing up, no one would have believed that the quiet girl, who was afraid even of dipping her feet in the water, would become India's fastest ever female swimmer. “My journey into competitive swimming was anything but passion. It wasn't out of choice. It was out of a series of comedies and opportunities,” Shikha Tandon said in a TEDx talk. Although she was a shy child, she was active and liked being around people, she shared. During the summer, her family and friends used to go to the swimming pool every week, and while her friends jumped in and out of the water, having a great time, Shikha preferred to stand at poolside, dipping her fingers into

During the summer, her family and friends used to go to the swimming pool every week, and while her friends jumped in and out of the water, having a great time, Shikha preferred to stand at poolside, dipping her fingers into the fountain. This happened week after week during the summer months.

[caption id="attachment_51808" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Indian Sportsperson | Shikha Tandon | Global Indian Shikha Tandon[/caption]

When she was six, one family friend, in an attempt to help her get rid of her fear of water, took her into the pool. “The minute I got into the water, I started flailing my arms and kicking my legs and doing everything possible to get out of the pool. One of those breaststroke drop kicks landed on the person's arm and he immediately let me go. But he looked up at my mom and jokingly said, ‘Shikha has a very strong breaststroke kick. Someday she will make a great swimmer.”

Her mother held on to this comment, although at that moment, sole focus behind Shikha’s strong breaststroke kick was to get as far away from the swimming pool as she could. After that incident, being an athletics-inclined kid, Shikha tried her hand at sports like roller skating and running. However, destiny had other plans.

Destiny unfolds

Two years later, her brother was diagnosed with severe asthma and used to be hospitalised every few months. The doctor recommended that he take up swimming regularly to help improve his lung capacity. Since Shikha couldn’t be left at home, her mother took her along to the pool. Two years after that initial kicking incident, it was Shikha's first time back at the swimming pool. On the first day, her brother was extremely excited and even jumped into the pool with his socks on. "I, on the other hand, took my time, but by the end of that first session, I was comfortable. Clearly, something had changed in those two years," she recalled.

[caption id="attachment_51809" align="aligncenter" width="667"] Indian Sportsperson | Shikha Tandon | Global Indian Shikha Tandon receiving Arjuna Award from foremer President of India, late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2005[/caption]

One thing led to another, and the next year, at the age of nine, Shikha won her first national medal in the 50-meter breaststroke. “I guess the kick was strong after all," she smiled. Shikha started representing India at international events when she turned 12. "At the age of 13, I was the fastest swimmer in India in my event, and at the age of 19, I was the only swimmer to represent India at the 2004 Athens Olympics," adds the Olympian and Arjuna awardee.

Looking back, the memory Shikha holds dearest to her heart is the feeling she experienced at the Olympics opening ceremony, walking alongside her teammates, behind India’s national flag. “Those emotions are very hard to describe. For an athlete, being able to represent your country at the Olympics is the pinnacle of your career,” the Global Indian remarked, adding, “The Olympics are unlike any other event. You are there with 10,000 athletes from all over the world, each one is the best in their respective sports. All these athletes are living together, eating together, competing together, making friendships, and building memories. That's something I have not seen or witnessed anywhere else.”

From swimming to biosciences

Shikha had a thriving 15-year career in swimming before she decided to end her competitive swimming journey. Although she stopped competing, her passion for the sport did not wane. As an athlete, she was always interested in the inner workings of the human body, which led her to the biosciences. She had always remained interested in academics while competing as an elite swimmer, and was also enrolled at the Bangalore University, from where she graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s in biotechnology.

In 2009 Shikha moved to the US for a second master’s in biology from the Case Western Reserve University while also remained engaged in professional swimming until 2010.

[caption id="attachment_51810" align="aligncenter" width="727"] Indian Sportsperson | Shikha Tandon | Global Indian Shikha Tandon[/caption]

“I was always an advocate for clean sport and preserving the integrity of hard work. So, when I passed out from college in the US, I went on to work at the US Anti-Doping Agency on their science team. This was exceptionally exciting for me because I was one of a handful of kids from all over the world given the opportunity to be directly involved in the global anti-doping movement,” she said.

AI innovation and sports

Following a five-year stint working as a science program lead at the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Shikha worked at a couple of fitness startups (Moov Inc, Repmonk AI) and at TechCrunch as a product manager before joining Silicon Valley Exercise Analytics (Svexa).

At Svexa, she serves the Chief Resilience and Partnership Officer working on a team intentionally composed of members with dual competencies - both technical and athletic. In the five years of association with the organisation she has climbed up the hierarchical ladder from National Lead - Business, Director - Global Partnerships to her current role. Svexa’s employees include numerous current and retired athletes who have competed professionally as well as at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

[caption id="attachment_51811" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Indian Sportsperson | Shikha Tandon | Global Indian Shikha Tandon[/caption]

“What we're trying to do is a combination of AI and human domain expertise, which a coach typically brings,” Shikha said. “We use all the data that we have to keep people in optimal zones in terms of performance, recovery, taking into account their goals,” she shared with the Sports Business Journal. In her role she has worked with several elite athletes and has helped them structure and modify their training regimes for their peak performances.

“I think having access to this kind of (AI based performance optimizer) before my retirement would have helped me potentially elongate my career a little more because I started getting injured quite a bit towards the end. So, I think from an injury prevention or management standpoint, it could have helped. Also from a training perspective, it would have kept me in my optimal zones,” remarked the ace swimmer talking about how of late AI is a boon for sportspeople.

With loads of insights and a fulfilling career as a former athlete and corporate executive in the AI-powered sports world, Shikha is leading a fulfilling life in the US with her husband and her two little girls.

[caption id="attachment_51813" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Indian Sportsperson | Shikha Tandon | Global Indian Shikha Tandon with her family[/caption]

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How Dr. Keshav Singh became a pioneer of mitochondria research

(November 25, 2022) In 2018, Dr. Keshav Singh, a professor of genetics at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was experimenting with mitochondria in mice. The team introduced a mutation to induce dysfunction and, over the next few weeks, observed that the mice developed wrinkles and lost hair - their bodies were ageing. It was an exciting development - if the loss of mitochondrial function led to ageing in mice, could the opposite delay or even prevent it? So Dr. Singh restored the mitochondrial function in the now-wrinkled mice and sure enough, their skin cleared, and the hair grew back. It became the foundation for a startup - Yuva Biosciences. Global media came knocking and Dr. Keshav Singh, a world leader in mitochondria research. Currently, the Joy and Bill Harbert Endowed Chair and Professor of Genetics, Pathology, and Dermatology at the University of Alabama, Dr. Keshav Singh, the author of three books and over 100 research publications, is on Stanford University's list of the top two percent of scientists in the world and one of Newsweek's Innovation Heroes. For over two decades, Dr. Singh has been at the forefront of mitochondrial research, working tirelessly to make a change. He even uses

research, working tirelessly to make a change. He even uses his talent for painting to create artistic renditions of mitochondria on canvas.

In October 2022, Dr. Singh and his team also received a grant from NASA, after a study showed that 57 astronauts suffered from mitochondrial anomalies after their stints at the International Space Station. The organisation has awarded Dr. Keshav a grant to do the animal studies - "We will take our mice and work at the NASA facility in Brookhaven, in a laboratory-created space environment," he told Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_32114" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Dr Keshav Singh[/caption]

A long journey

The accolades, although never the end goal, had been a long time coming. Some fifteen years had passed since he started the Society for Mitochondrial Research and Medicine, first in the USA and later on in India, as well as a scientific journal, Mitochondrion, in 2000. At the same time, Dr Singh, along with his young son and daughter, would work late into the night on a companion newsletter, MitoMatters. "My daughter was in charge of the newsletter. We were trying to create awareness."

"Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell," is biology's most repeated line, and any Indian student who paid attention in high school can rattle it off without pause. Little is known even today about the complex set of mitochondrial diseases induced due to primary defects in mitochondria. And the information was even scarcer when Dr. Keshav chose it as an area of research. "Nobody cared much for it," he says. "But one of the godfathers of mitochondria biology happened to be at Johns Hopkins at that time. I was looking for a mentor - when you are an immigrant, moving around all the time, you have no mentor." Dr. Keshav’s ambitions were thwarted when he was told, "You're wasting your time. Mitochondria produce energy and there's nothing more to it."

Bareilly to Boston

It wasn't great news, but by this time, well-honed by the education system in India and abroad, Dr. Keshav wasn't about to give up. He recalls the early days over a Zoom call early on a Saturday morning. "My father was in the railways and I was the youngest child in the family," he says. "At school, we didn't get a desk until sixth grade, we had to sit on the floor." The day the furniture arrived was one of great excitement.

Dr. Keshav excelled in school and in the sixth grade received his first scholarship of Rs 16, a significant sum then. "The first big change came when I did my master's in GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology," he says. After having tried and failed to get a medical seat, Dr. Singh settled on microbiology, which was a top branch of science at the time, with only six seats available across India.

"In college, I used cow dung to make methane, and at the same time, my brother was using methane to make biogas to power a village." His brother also went on to set up the Ministry of Non-Conventional Sources of Energy.

Fuelled by one academic success after the next, he continued to receive scholarships, at the National Dairy Research Institute, at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and IIT-Delhi, "I was offered scholarships, but the problem I faced was that I didn't speak English too well, so I joined Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow for a short while under a CSIR fellowship."

To foreign shores

He had his degrees but wanted more than to "do mediocre science." That led him to the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he did a Ph.D. in marine biology and received a scholarship to Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratories. " At MBL, I isolated a bacterium from sewage sludge, which was a lot of fun. It turned out it had unique characteristics and hadn't been discovered before, so I named it after my Professor and me. It grows as a clump but is a single-cell organism." After a post-doc at Harvard, Dr. Keshav joined Johns Hopkins, where he would remain as a faculty member until 2003.

Mitochondria research

"I learned that hundreds of mitochondrial diseases have no cure or even a name or diagnosis," Dr Singh remarks. He recalls one case - that of a high-profile patient, the scion of a global hospitality company, who visited Johns Hopkins complaining of a problem in his eye - "he had no energy in the eyelid and a lot of other problems as well," Dr. Keshav explains. The patient had visited a nephrologist, eye specialist, and neurologist and made no headway with a diagnosis. Mitochondrial diseases are multisystem disorders, so patients end up consulting specialists in those areas without much luck.

Mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited and passed on to the egg, which contains about five million mitochondria. Each mitochondrion contains 100 copies of the DNA. If even one percent of that DNA is mutated, "you don't know how it will be distributed in different organs and in which order. That is the dilemma," Dr. Keshav says. "You may be okay for a while, but if the mutant load increases, you develop symptoms quickly. And even today, there is little or no training in some parts of the world, particularly in India, for physicians to connect these dots and arrive at a diagnosis."

Work in India

Starting in 2006-07, Dr. Keshav began collaborating with Dr. K. Thangaraj at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad; Dr. Keshav set up the Society for mitochondrial research and medicine in India. Physicians from America are brought to India to train the physicians here in recognizing symptoms and diagnoses. "There is no treatment, though," Dr. Keshav admits. For 15 years now, the society has been organising conferences, bringing scientists and physicians together in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Manipal University, Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, and JNU in Delhi.

In the United States, they also involve the patients. Just like the HIV model that was followed in the 1970s and 80s, we bring patients at the end of the conference. The scientists train the physicians, who train the patients, who then go to the politicians and make their case." Mitochondrial diseases are supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. "There are around 400 diseases related to mitochondria. But, unfortunately, only a handful have been accepted," he says.

[caption id="attachment_32111" align="aligncenter" width="577"] At the first annual conference of the Society for Mitochondria Research and Medicine[/caption]

Energy for all

Spurred on by the success of the anti-ageing experiment, Dr. Keshav co-founded Yuva Biosciences with serial entrepreneur and fellow Harvard grad Greg Schmergel. Their mission is to "restore mitochondrial function to rejuvenate you, starting with your hair and skin that is provide youthfulness for life."

The experiment with the mice also received the attention of an MD clinical fellow, Jasmine Chiang, who saw the story in the news. She approached the team at the University of Alabama, asking to work on the ovaries of the mice. "I asked her why an MD and Ob/Gyn who deals with patients would want to do this." Dr. Chiang, however, was interested in working on the ageing of the ovaries, which takes place at a much faster rate than the rest of the body.

"Mice go through processes which are very similar to that of human beings. When women go through menopause or ovarian ageing, hormones are downregulated, putting them at high risk for cardiovascular, cancer, and neurological disorders. "The idea is to understand how mitochondria control ovarian functions and how we can delay menopause." Two women in a 100 (amounting to some 60 million women) suffer from premature ovarian aging, a condition for which there is no treatment other than egg donation. Notably, in some countries like Germany, egg donation is prohibited.

[caption id="attachment_32108" align="aligncenter" width="566"] Dr Keshav Singh | Global Indian Dr Keshav K Singh[/caption]

'Fem tech' and ancient Indian remedies

India, Dr. Keshav says, has much to offer in the area of rejuvenation. "We have concepts like kayakalpa, medicinal plants, and the knowledge of Ayurveda. People talk about regenerating through yoga. At a cellular level, there are technologies in existence that can be utilized and applied along with kayakalpa and yoga to develop ways to rejuvenate mitochondrial function and energy". Dr. Singh's goals is to find a way to prevent, restore and rejuvenate mitochondrial function to extend health span and provide energy to all to age well when you get old. He is leading the field to accomplish this goal.

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