New Delhi: When entrepreneur Aaryan Singh Kushwah met “Senior Olympian” Parag Patil, a chance encounter on the streets of Mumbai turned into a viral social media post.
In a LinkedIn post, Kushwah shared how he discovered that his cab driver, Patil, was a veteran Indian athlete with an impressive haul of international medals. While Kushwah’s post claimed that Patil was an “Olympian”, he actually participated in the World Masters Games (WMG), which, although unofficially referred to as the Olympics for seniors, are a different sporting event.
The post triggered a mix of emotions online, with some hailing Patil’s spirit, while others calling for better athlete welfare in India.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Patil opened up about his unexpected viral fame, participation in the Senior Olympics, a competition designed for veteran athletes, and the challenges he faced within India’s sports ecosystem.
His athletic career began at the First Veterans Athletics Championship in 2010, held in Pune, where he won three silver medals.
“My parents never wanted me to be an athlete. My first hurdle wasn’t on the playfield, it was at home,” said the 46-year-old. The mindset, at the time, was that sports couldn’t be taken up as a career path and it was better to be an engineer or a doctor.
Sharing that he “always” wanted to be a soldier, Patil said, “I was always very inspired by the Tiranga (the Indian flag) and the Army. It is the reason why I completed my NCC (National Cadet Corps) certifications. No matter what struggles I have to this day, I think of those serving the nation in the most unfavourable conditions and draw my motivation from there.”
But he could not clear the final stage of the Sashastra Seema Bal selections.
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A barrier to a career in sports
Financial constraints also remained a hurdle for Patil, keeping him from a career in sports.
Recalling his early training days, Patil said, “I started training in 1988 but financial constraints posed a significant challenge. As the son of a welder, I came from a humble background, and my family struggled to make ends meet.”
“Despite these difficulties, my family scraped together enough to buy me my first pair of spikes (at the age of 16) which proved invaluable in my journey.” He started from running to catch his bus for school to running in slippers in his school grounds. His school noticed his natural talent and nurtured it.
Patil was so driven that he often forgot to eat, going hungry for days. His family, despite their struggles, supported him, but only if he promised to focus on his studies too.
In 2000, he graduated from Pune University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Pune University and, between 2000 and 2013, Patil worked in manufacturing companies and corporates, last serving as a purchase manager.
In a brief tryst with entrepreneurship, in 2020, he founded MaxFit India, a company providing fitness programmes, although it ultimately incurred losses and was sidelined. He also authored a book, titled ‘Be Super Immune’, on health and wellness.
Lack of support for Senior Olympics
For what became a brief period, he began his pursuit of athletics full-time after being selected for the 2013 Senior Olympics in Italy at the age of 30. Till then, he had to carefully balance his work at a multinational and training commitments.
It was also his first chance to compete internationally. At the event in the city of Torino, he won one silver and two bronze medals
Till date, he has won 17 medals in various international veterans’ athletic competitions. This also includes two gold and two silver medals at the Australian Masters Games in Adelaide (2015); one silver medal at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand (2017); one silver medal at the Asia Pacific Masters Games in Penang, Malaysia (2018); and four silver and one bronze medal at the Australian Masters Games in Adelaide (2019).
The World Masters Games (WMG) is a premier international multi-sport event, organised by the International Masters Games Association (IMGA), a non-profit organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The event is held every four years, bringing together athletes from around the world, aged 25 and above, to compete in various sports.
The next edition of the games are scheduled to take place in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2025.
But, for Patil, his financial difficulties remained, especially with the lack of systemic support.
“People are increasingly getting to know about the Summer Olympics, but the Senior Olympics still remain largely unknown to many. Despite my efforts to raise sponsorships and seek support, I faced rejection, which is why I started fundraising for my participation.”
“One of the experiences I can recall of seeking government support was before going to Italy for the Senior Olympics. A local MLA had promised me financial support, and I followed up with them every day. However, they kept stalling despite their promise, and I was left struggling in Italy, going through a tough time trying to reach out to them, but the money never came through.”
In a written reply, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha in August this year that the government provides financial support to retired sports persons through the Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons scheme.
This initiative aims to offer a steady monthly income to outstanding athletes, with pensions ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000.
However, this scheme does not include Senior Olympians like Parag Patil, highlighting a gap in support for athletes who have represented India at the senior level.
Turned to driving a cab
To support his family, in 2024, he turned to driving a cab.
“Every time I went on to interview for a job position, they rejected me, stating that my background is too high-profile for me to be onboarded. I was going through a major financial crisis and had to feed my family, which is the reason why I started driving a cab.”
Patil emphasised that “no work is small in its nature and I’m not ashamed”. However, he confessed that the most difficult aspect is having to abandon his athletic practice due to his demanding schedule.
Patil emphasised the need for a structured support system for senior athletes. “Just like there is a proper system for younger athletes and para-athletes, there should be a firm policy for senior athletes like me.”
“The system failed me and many others like me,” he added
Thanks to Kushwah’s widely shared post, Patil has finally gained recognition and several private companies have come forward to offer him support. This newfound attention has marked a significant turning point in Patil’s career, he told ThePrint.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)