In a world where many athletes find it hard to last in their sport, 35-year-old sprinter Srabani Nanda is proving that age is just a number. Recently, she played a key role in leading the Indian women’s 4x100m relay team to a remarkable Gold medal at the Asian Relay Championships in China. This victory marked an impressive moment in her career, which has now spanned over 24 years. Nanda and her teammates, SS Sneha, Sudeshna Shivankar, and Tamanna, posted a season-best time of 43.85 seconds, positioning them as strong contenders for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
For Nanda, though, the real success isn’t solely about the medals; it lies in the journey she has taken. In a time when Indian athletics faces challenges, including doping scandals, Nanda stands tall as an advocate for clean sport. In her conversation with the Press Trust of India, she emphasized that staying drug-free has been her greatest strength.
“I believe it’s crucial to stay clean, as it fosters confidence and allows you to concentrate on your competition,” Nanda shared. “We need to change our mindset from believing we can’t succeed without drugs to knowing we can excel without them. It’s essential to keep our bodies healthy and not jeopardize them with harmful substances.”
Originally from Tikabali in Odisha, Nanda’s athletic career started in 2002 when she joined the Government Sports Hostel. With a local collectorate clerk as her father and a school headmistress as her mother, her talent quickly brought her into the spotlight. By 2007, she represented India at the World Youth Championships in Ostrava.
Over these years, Nanda has built an impressive roster of achievements. She claimed a Commonwealth Games bronze in 2010 and an individual Asian Championship bronze in 2015, along with various relay medals, including a silver in 2025. Her journey even led her to compete in the 200m event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Staying at the top for over two decades takes a toll, and Nanda admits that the urge to quit has crossed her mind several times. “There have been many moments when I considered stepping away. Training is incredibly tough. Sometimes I feel like giving up, especially when I’m physically drained,” she said. “But I push forward, reminding myself to focus on the future.”
To maintain her elite performance, Nanda, who works with the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation, has sought training opportunities around the globe. She has trained in countries like South Africa and Australia, and during the pandemic in 2020, she even went to Jamaica, where she learned from sprinting legends like Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. This experience helped her master the mental side of high-level competition.
As she competes in the 100m and 200m events at the ongoing National Inter-State Senior Championships, which serve as qualification trials, Nanda’s eyes are set on the bigger picture. Despite winning numerous continental medals, an Asian Games medal has remained elusive for her in the past.
With the confidence of a recent Asian Gold, Nanda is determined to change that narrative. “This season, my main goal is the Asian Games, and I’m hoping for the best,” she stated, ready to chase after her dreams.
