.jpg){kind=link}
From Ghorewaha village in Hoshiarpur district to the Olympic track, Hari Chand built one of India’s outstanding distance-running careers. His legacy rests on two Asian Games gold medals, two Olympic appearances and a national record that endured for 32 years.
Seoul 1975: the breakthrough
Born on 1 April 1953, Hari Chand joined the CRPF in 1972. At the 1975 Asian Athletics Championships in Seoul, he won gold in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres. The CRPF records his Arjuna Award for athletics in 1975.
Bangkok 1978: the golden double
His two Asian Games gold medals both came at Bangkok in 1978: one in the 5,000 metres and one in the 10,000 metres. The Indian Olympic Association’s medal records confirm this double. The Seoul championship and Bangkok Asian Games were separate events.
Barefoot at the Olympics
Running barefoot in the 1976 Montreal Olympic 10,000 metres heats, he clocked 28:48.72. He finished eighth in his heat, rather than eighth in the Olympic final. Although he did not qualify for the final, his Indian record stood until Surendra Singh improved it in 2008. Hari Chand also represented India in the 10,000 metres and marathon at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Hoshiarpur remembers
Hari Chand died in June 2022, aged 69. His journey connects the district’s village sporting culture with the highest levels of Asian athletics. Remembering him means preserving the details of those achievements as well as the determination they represent.