New Delhi: Harshita Jakhar has achieved something rare in Indian cycling this season. The 18-year-old rider won a second consecutive bronze medal at the Asian (Junior) Road Cycling Championships in February. A medal in a road cycling event that tests endurance and speed in tough conditions is a feat unmatched in Indian cycling. Harshita first finished on the podium in individual time trial at the Asian junior meet in Kazakhstan last year, repeating it this year in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand.
In individual time trial, riders race solo and their position is decided on their timing, the fastest finishing first. On track, she fared better, winning four medals in junior events at the February Asian Track Cycling Championships in Malaysia. The two meets (road and track) were scheduled within a fortnight, and Harshita in between even found time to come to India and write her 12th exams.
The performances have set her apart, being marked as an ‘exceptional talent’ to be groomed under the Target Asian Games Group programme. Teenagers Maya Rajeswaran in tennis and Kartik Singh in golf are the other juniors picked in this category. Their progress will be monitored in this Olympic cycle.
Harshita, trained by her uncle and former India cyclist Rakesh Jakhar, has been making waves domestically in the last few seasons. She has emerged as India’s top junior, winning medals and breaking records in the age-group nationals and Khelo India events. Harshita set a sub-junior national record in 2022 and a junior national mark in 2023, both in 2km individual pursuit.
Harshita hails from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, but has her base in Patiala because Jakhar – a railways ticket inspector – is posted there. Jakhar also trains Harshita’s sister Anjali, and his son Aditya.
“In my first international competition in Almaty last year, I was nervous. It made me train harder but I am more comfortable now,” says Harshita. “To compete at the world championships was a good experience. In Zurich (UCI Junior Road Cycling World Championships), my cycle had a problem but I was able to finish the race. In the junior track world championships (China), I finished 12th in the points race. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
Indian cycling has seen talented juniors over the last few years. The class of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh Yanglem won a first-ever gold for India at the junior track cycling world championships in 2019. Since then, many juniors have been groomed under the TOPS developmental programme. But it has been difficult to breakthrough at the senior international level. At Hangzhou, none of India’s 14-member squad came close to a medal. Qualifying for the Olympics is a far tougher challenge. More junior talents are expected to be added to the scheme. India have won three silver medals and a bronze at the Asian Games cycling competition.
Harshita’s focus will be on the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games. She will be training for Omnium — a multiple race event featuring scratch race, individual pursuit, elimination race and time trial. It is an Olympic event.
“We’ll cut down on road races and focus on track events. With Asian Games as the target, we will work towards building endurance. At the junior world championships in September, she will compete in individual pursuit, her pet event, and points race. Next year, she will compete in seniors at the Asian Championships. It will be a good build up for the Asian Games,” says coach Jakhar, who holds an NIS coaching diploma.
“For track training, we used to go to Punjabi University, which is close to our house. It has a 500m cycling track. From last year, she has been going to NIS Patiala to train before competitions. The centre has a full track,” he says.
Budding junior cyclists train at the NCOE centre in Patiala. Harshita has not opted for that. “We don’t want to disturb her schooling. The NCOE centre is bit far off from our house. She has just taken permission to train on the Patiala track,” says Jakhar, who has competed in the Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Before internationals, Harshita comes to Delhi for national camps at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, which has a wooden track. “She has been improving with every tournament. She has good endurance and speed, but needs to develop race strategies. That matters a lot in internationals,” he says.
