On Friday, the Army runner will line up for the men’s 10,000m at Aichi-Nagoya — a category where India had not won an Asian Games for 25 years since Gulab Chand’s bronze in 1998 Bangkok. There, two men ended the drought together. Kartik Kumar, a 2018 U20 Asian Championships bronze medallist, took silver. The runner who took bronze, however, had begun his competitive athletics career only in 2019.As he prepares for the challenge in Japan, Gulveer reminisced memories from Hangzhou. “Tab main jab wahaan gaya tha, bahar ke khiladiyon ko dekh ke thoda darr to laga tha. Par ab wo darr nahin hai (When I had gone to Hangzhou, I was a tad afraid of the other runners. But now, I don’t have that fear),” he tells The Indian Express.Click here to read our Asian Games full coverage“Now I know that I also belong to the same level as them. They are not unbeatable, and I am not an underdog either. We are all equals. That, I would say, is the biggest change in me between Hangzhou to Aichi-Nagoya.”The years between have passed at a sprinter’s tempo. In 2025 alone he rewrote the national records in the 3,000m, 5,000m, 10,000m, 25km and half-marathon. That, the ascend can be sustained, was made evident in the Commonwealth Games in July, where he became the first Indian to medal in his categories — silver in 10,000m, bronze in 5,000.Also Read | Gulveer Singh braves relentless rain to win historic men’s 10,000m silver at 2026 CWG“The field was really difficult in the Commonwealth Games. The Kenyan pair (Mathew Kipsang and Cornelius Kemboi) were strong, and there were other great runners. Our focus was on the work that we put in. My coach said a simple thing ‘Forget where they come from; they are humans, and so are you. There’s no difference.’ It all comes down to the hard work,” he reflects.That coach is Scott Simmons, with whom Gulveer trains in Colorado Springs. “He deserves the credit for whatever I have achieved so far in my career. I just follow his instructions. Not that I always understand his plans, but all I know for certain is that whatever he does works best for me. Whenever I try to use my own brain, I get into trouble. Coach bolta rehta hai jab main dimaag laga raha hoon, tum apna dimaag mat lagao. (Coach keeps on telling me that when he is using his mind to strategise, I should not think on my own).”At the Asian Games, Gulveer will have to compete in three events in the span of five days — 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m. It will be difficult, he acknowledges, but he has been here before.Story continues below this ad“I had a quick turnover between two events at the Commonwealth Games as well, and I also have been at events where I have had to participate in two consecutive days. But the coach plans it in a way that it becomes manageable.”Also Read | How Gulveer Singh executed perfect race strategy to win historic medal in 10000mThe relocation to Colorado Springs has exacted a toll. For all the sporting accolades the decision might have facilitated, it has curbed his family time.“I try not to show my emotions to anyone. I put on a happy face. But truth be told, I miss my family a lot. Majboori hai, kya hi kar sakte hain (nothing can’t be done). But my family has always supported me in my journey. They tell me that my priority should be my athletics career, and that once I retire, I will have enough time to explore the world with them.”Unlike Hangzhou, Gulveer arrives in Japan carrying two Commonwealth Games medals, and the reigning continental champion’s tag in two categories. If the fear has gone, however, complacency has not moved in to replace it.Story continues below this ad“I don’t think about which field is easier and which is difficult. I prepare for every race with the same intensity. When I was a kid, my parents told me ‘Kisiko gareeb ya ameer mat samajhna, sabko insaan samajhna’ (Don’t think of people as poor or rich, think of them as humans). At the end of the day, I will be up against humans, and there is every possibility that someone I have not even heard of has put in more work than I have.Also Read | Gulveer wins bronze in men’s 5000m, his 2nd medal at 2026 CWGSo, I know that I have to be at my best. My focus is not on my timing, but the medal. Baakiyon ko chaapet mein lena hai aur medal jeetna hai (I have to beat the others and win the medal).”And yet, he will have to bear with the weight of expectations. Not that of the billion-strong nation, but of his own.Also Read | How a posting in the high altitudes of Arunachal shaped the career of long-distance ace Gulveer Singh“I don’t put pressure on myself. The only expectation that I have to live up to is my own expectation — that, I must not return from a race without giving my all on the track.”Story continues below this adCoach Simmons aside, the runner also credits his sponsor, ASICS. “The partnership has been beneficial for me. Because we spent countless hours running, having footwear that supports your movement and keeps you comfortable becomes important.”