Satyabrata Mishra
The 60-plus man in a yellow ‘T’ and red shorts is a familiar sight at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar early morning every day. Rain, hail or thunder, nothing prevents Gopinath Sethi from being an early bird and taking his wards through the chores to make them physically fit. The ‘Marathon Man’ – he can aptly be called that – is like a father figure to the thousands who aspire one day to be in the law enforcing agencies like the army or police.
Day in day out one can hear the reverberations of ‘come on you can do it’, ‘one more time’, ‘jump, jump, go for it’ as Gopinath urges the hundreds that throng to him to stretch their physical abilities to the hilt at the training areas within the stadium. Already more than 2,000 of his students have been enrolled by the police, army and the Orissa Industrial Security Force (OISF). But the man continues to help the new aspirants – free of cost. He even conducts written tests every Sunday on GK and current affairs so that his students – along with their physical development, can also achieve mental empowerment.
But then what motivates the man to carry out this unselfish act? Gopinath initially doesn’t want to reveal the exact reason. But after a little bit of persuasion he spills the beans. “My son was undergoing a physical test for employment in the Railways in this very stadium,” states Gopinath. “He suffered a stroke and in spite of all our efforts he passed away. That memory remains… all the youngsters that you see here are my sons and daughters. Their success keeps me going and makes me feel contented.”
Born in Mangarajpur, a remote village near Badamba in Cuttack district, the frail yet strong man took to running from a very early age. His passion for football compelled him to run 10km every day so that he wouldn’t be late for training. And till date he runs, runs and runs.
As he talks he instructs his students, oops sons and daughters, to go through another set of physical drills. “Jump, squat, stretch, swirl,” he barks before taking a walk down memory lane.
“My father did not like my passion for football. So because of his scolding, one day I left the village and arrived in Bhubaneswar,” states Gopinath. “I passed the army physical tests quite easily, but was apprehensive of travelling to far-flung Punjab for further training. So I gave it up and took up the job of an office boy in the lobby of the Assembly. The late Nandini Satpathy was then the Chief Minister of Orissa,” he reminisces. Gopinath retired in November 2012 after a stint with the state finance department.
But then job or no job running remains his first love. Gopinath took part in many marathon events in the state and outside it. In 2002, he finished second in the Biju Patnaik marathon event in Bhubaneswar. Till date in whichever marathon he has participated in Orissa, he has finished within the top five, winning some the races as well.
Today Gopinath and his associates run an organisation called ‘Bharasa’ which symbolises hope. “God must love my son more than I do, that is probably the reason he has called my son to him. But in return, he has given me thousands of children for which I am grateful to God. Today, I am the father of so many,” he says even though a tinge of sadness chokes his voice.
He returns back to the training sessions and once more urges his wards to stretch their limits. He has to, after all he is the only ‘Bharasa’ to many.
