Ajay Kumar Saroj

Ajay Kumar Saroj (born 1 May 1997) is an Indian middle-distance runner.

Ajay Kumar Saroj

Saroj at the 2017 Asian Championships
Personal information
Born	1 May 1997 (1997-05) (age 28) Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India[1]
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	800 m, 1500 m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:49.05 (2017) 1500 m: 3:37.83 (2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  India Asian Games 2022 Hangzhou 1500m Asian Championships 2017 Bhubaneswar 1500m 2023 Bangkok 1500m 2019 Doha 1500m Asian Indoor Games 2017 Ashgabat 1500m South Asian Games 2016 Guwahati 1500m 2019 Kathmandu 1500m 2016 Guwahati 800m Asian Youth Games 2013 Nanjing 1500m

Early life

Ajay Kumar Saroj hails from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Saroj is the youngest of three brothers, and has three sisters. His father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. He took up athletics at age 15.^[1]

Career

Noticing his lack of interest in academics, his family encouraged him to take up sport at a young age. An avid learner, he used to watch the Olympic Games on television to learn the nuances of athletics. Beginning his career on track with 400m, Saroj, on the suggestion of his coach, shifted his focus to 1500m & 800m.

He is currently supported by the GoSports Foundation through the GoSports Long Term Athlete Development Programme.^[2]