RK Sharma (Cycling Coach) Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More 2024

Some Lesser Known Facts About RK Sharma

• RK Sharma is an Indian bicycle owner who served because the Indian Chief Coach of the nationwide biking group. In 2022, he made headlines after being accused of misbehaving with an Indian national-level feminine bicycle owner.

• In 1984, RK Sharma joined the Indian Air Force (IAF). He served within the IAF for nearly 28 years, earlier than leaving it in 2013. He served the IAF as a Human Resources Manager.

• RK Sharma’s affiliation with biking began in 1985 when a tri-services biking coach noticed him pedalling his cycle furiously on his solution to the workplace.

• In 1985, RK Sharma joined the Tri-Services biking group, and through his tenure with the group, and he went on to win 9 nationwide medals for the group.

• RK Sharma left the group in 1998 when he acquired posted to Bangalore because of which he misplaced his contact with biking.

• In 2006, when RK Sharma was posted to New Delhi, the place he started practising biking as soon as once more. In Delhi, RK Sharma, on the weekends, refereed many native biking occasions at a neighborhood biking federation. In an interview, whereas speaking about this, RK Sharma mentioned,
  

  During that point, I began volunteering over the weekend with the native biking federation. Around that point there have been loads of biking street races that have been being carried out and I’d principally referee there.”

• In 2010, RK Sharma labored as a Deputy Competition Manager of the Road Cycling Tournament through the Commonwealth Games 2010.
  

  RK Sharma as a Competition Manager through the 2010 Commonwealth Games

• In 2013, after being persuaded by Omkar Singh, the Chairman of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), RK Sharma left his job on the Indian Air Force and joined the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in Lausanne, Switzerland. There, he pursued a 3-month lengthy International Cycling Coaching Diploma. While giving an interview, RK Sharma, mentioned,
  

  From what I knew, that was probably the most prestigious course on the earth, I couldn’t do the course whereas being with the Air Force, so I needed to retire. This sport isn’t like cricket, the place there may be cash to be made. I knew that, as a biking coach, my month-to-month earnings would come down by half. But I used to be happy with that.”

• RK Sharma carried out exceptionally nicely in his diploma course at UCI and managed to safe a First Class grade. During an interview, he acknowledged,
  

  At the tip of the course, my teacher advised me my report was the amongst one of the best he had graded.”

• After finishing his diploma in 2013, RK Sharma was summoned by Omkar Singh, who requested him to instantly be a part of the Indian biking camp on the Indira Gandhi Stadium’s Velodrome in New Delhi.
  

  RK Sharma with an Indian bicycle owner

• In 2013, he was appointed as a coach of the Junior Indian National biking group that was imagined to take part within the 2013 Asian Cycling Championship. After RK Sharma’s appointment as a Coach, many under-training cyclists left, believing that coaching underneath a brand new and inexperienced coach would spoil their careers. Even the veteran biking coaches went in opposition to the choice of appointing RK Sharma as a Coach by the Cycling Federation of India, and therefore they boycotted him within the Indian camp. Talking in regards to the incident, in an interview, he mentioned,
  

  No one was pleased. Who is that this Sharmaji? He’s executed a two-month course and he desires to inform us what to do? Apna profession thodi kharab karna hai! There have been sufficient individuals who requested, ‘Who is this guy who doesn’t have a diploma from NIS who’s coming to inform us tips on how to do issues.’ As if NIS is IIT Delhi! They couldn’t intimidate me. If they’d studied a lot, why did India nonetheless not have a end result to speak about? I’m not from NIS. I come from a military background. I take the choice that’s in one of the best nationwide pursuits. It made me out to be the unhealthy man and even immediately lots of people suppose I’m probably the most wished villain within the system.”

• As a results of RK Sharma’s boycott on the Indian camp in 2013, solely 4 cyclists volunteered to coach with him for the 2013 Asian Cycling Championship. Since, the efficiency of the cyclists, who have been skilled by RK Sharma, was rather a lot higher than the efficiency of different Indian cyclists skilled by skilled coaches in the identical coaching camp, many cyclists started to strategy him, in order to start coaching with him within the subsequent coaching camp. In an interview, RK Sharma claimed,
  

  I solely had two months with them however, in that point, I fully reworked their coaching routine. Some gamers wanted work on their endurance and others on their energy. At the nationals, each certainly one of them received gold with a nationwide file. At the subsequent nationwide camp, I had a full crowd of people that wished to coach with me.”

  

  RK Sharma through the Asian Cycling Championship 2013

• In 2014, RK Sharma was made the Head Coach of Union Cycliste Internationale World Cycling Centre (UCI-WCC).

• In 2014, he coached the Indian cyclists taking part within the 2014 Asian Cycling Championship, held in Kazakhstan.
  

  RK Sharma with an Indian bicycle owner through the 2014 Asian Cycling Championship

• Since the skilled cyclists weren’t performing nicely within the competitions, RK Sharma, in 2015, suggested the Cycling Federation of India to recruit even these candidates who didn’t have a biking background however met the nominal bodily necessities laid down by the CFI. In an interview, he mentioned,
  

  We had seen what these with a biking background may do. Hume bus chingari de do, aag bana denge. But if we already acquired a burning piece, it should solely turn out to be ash.”

• In 2015, when RK Sharma introduced a roadmap, claiming it to ensure a medal within the 2015 Asian Championship, he was mocked and ridiculed by different coaches current on the nationwide coaching camp. In an interview, he narrated,
  

  At the beginning of the subsequent yr, I got here up with my plan of securing a medal for India on the 2015 Asian Championships. Everyone laughed at me… They didn’t even wish to consider that we may win a medal there. They didn’t even contemplate it.”

• Before the start of the Track ASIA Cup in 2016, RK Sharma was made the Head Coach of the Cycling Federation of India. Cyclists skilled underneath his steering managed to collectively safe first place with Malaysia within the championship with 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and one bronze medal.
  

  RK Sharma with the Junior National group that had received Silver at Track ASIA Cup in 2016

  

  RK Sharma with the Women Junior group that had received Gold and Silver medals in Team Sprint through the 2016 Track ASIA Cup

• In 2016, RK Sharma was appointed because the Head Coach of the Olympic Podium Sprint Cycling Team by the Cycling Federation of India. In 2021, because the group’s Head Coach, he was entrusted with the preparations of the biking group for the 2024 Olympics. In an interview, RK Sharma mentioned,
  

  I used to be given the cost of making ready the Indian Cycling group for the Olympics. We didn’t get a very good shot on the 2020 Olympics as a result of my group was nonetheless too younger to take part on the senior stage and the delays additional sophisticated issues. But their time will come, I’ve begun coaching them for the 2024 Olympics, the place we’ll win a medal of India in biking and re-write in golden phrases.”

• In the identical yr, RK Sharma was made the Chief Coach within the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on the advice of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI).

• In April 2017, RK Sharma’s group participated within the UCI Track Cycling World Championship in Hong Kong.
  

  RK Sharma standing in entrance of the Hong-Kong Velodrome

• In September 2017, RK Sharma’s skilled cyclists participated within the UCI Track Cycling World Championship, held in Italy.

• In 2018, underneath RK Sharma’s mentorship, the Junior National biking group received its first silver medal in MJ Keirin within the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championship in Switzerland.
  

  RK Sharma with the Indian group that had received the silver medal within the 2018 Junior World Championship

• In 2019, RK Sharma skilled the Indian cyclists taking part within the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championship, held in Frankfurt, Germany. In the competitors, the Indian group was awarded a gold medal in MJ Team Sprint, a silver medal in MJ Individual Sprint, and a bronze medal in MJ Keirin. The Indian group created historical past by finishing its biking race in file time. This led to the group making a brand new Asian file. While giving an interview, he mentioned,
  

  That win was not only a fortunate day. There are not any miracles in sport. We didn’t simply shoot out of nowhere. Our coaching has been systematic and common. As a consequence, there was much less speak about bringing in a international coach. The victory is certainly certainly one of my best achievements. It is a matter of delight for me that India achieved its first biking gold medal with a wholly Indian run programme.”

  

  RK Sharma with the Indian group through the UCI Cycling Championship 2019

• Many occasions, RK Sharma stood in opposition to the choice of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) of hiring a coach from a international nation, as he believed that the international coaches wouldn’t make any distinction to the underperformance of the athletes. RK Sharma, in an interview, mentioned,
  

  A very good international coach won’t ever come to India in biking, underneath any circumstances. Our rating was one hundred and fiftieth out of the 195 international locations. How may one ensure, that in 4 years, they may increase the usual of India from 150 to all of the wat to the highest. They would strive their methodology for 3 or possibly 4 years at most, earn their cash after which return to their respective international locations. Foreign coaches wouldn’t institute any long run adjustments.”