From injury scare to Asian Games stage, Swasti Singh ready for biggest test

KOLKATA: Four months ago, Indian cyclist Swasti Singh feared her Asian Games dream might be slipping away.A crash during a Madison race at the Namangan Track Race in Uzbekistan left her with a dislocated left shoulder, putting months of preparation at risk just when she had secured qualification for the Asian Games.“I was in a lot of pain and could see that the bone had shifted,” recalled Swasti, who hails from Rourkela. “But I also told myself that there was still time before the Asian Games and I could recover.”The road back, however, was far from easy.Based at the national camp in NCOE Patiala and training under national coach Joginder Singh, Swasti spent nearly two hours every day on rehabilitation while continuing with her regular training and gym work.That optimism eventually paid off. Now fully fit and part of India’s cycling contingent for Nagoya, the 25-year-old is eager to compete at the continental meet, where she will take part in the 4km Team Pursuit and Madison events.Asian Games Full Coverage | Medal Tally | Schedule“I feel as fit as I was before the injury. Training has been going very well, and the entire team is in good condition. We are confident of giving our best performance,” she said.The confidence is backed by her all-round ability and an impressive resume.Named India’s best cyclist in 2025, Swasti holds the national records in both the 4km Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit events. She also made history by anchoring India to its first-ever elite women’s Team Pursuit bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Track Cycling Championships and has amassed more than 50 medals during her career.The camaraderie within the Indian team has also made the comeback a little easier. While Swasti will partner Harshita Jakhar in the Madison, the duo will be joined by Pooja Baban Danole and Meenakshi Rohilla of Team Pursuit.“Like any group, there can be differences, but once we are on the track, we compete as one team and support each other completely,” said the senior-most cyclist in the squad.Her journey to the national team, however, began in unlikely fashion.A district-level cycling competition was held in Rourkela in 2016 and Swasti, then a Class VIII student, finished second in the trials before winning four gold medals at the state meet a month later.What began as a one-off event soon turned into a career with a little push from her late coach Sushil Kumar Das.At the national championships, she caught the attention of Cycling Federation of India official VN Singh after finishing fourth in a road race while riding a standard Indian bicycle against competitors using imported racing bikes.“After the race, he told me I had done very well despite riding a normal cycle and invited me to join the national camp in Delhi,” she said.The move away from home in 2018 was not an easy one. Her father, Amar Singh, who works at the Rourkela Steel Plant, was among those concerned about the uncertainties and risks associated with the sport. But her mother, Uma Devi, remained convinced that sport would eventually shape her daughter’s career.Even after the recent injury, she worried about her daughter’s wellbeing but knew she would not walk away from the sport.“My mother knew that once I decided to do something, I would follow it through,” Swasti said. “Now she just tells me to recover properly and give my best.”That conviction helped her navigate the toughest setback of her career. Four months after fearing the worst, the Rourkela cyclist is headed to Nagoya with a chance to turn a remarkable comeback into an Asian Games breakthrough.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.