Indian sprinter Amlan Borgohain revealed on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, that he got inspired to break the national record of 200m finals after channeling Goku, the lead protagonist of the cult classic Dragon Ball.

At the Federation Cup in Calicut University, the 23-year-old won Gold, sprinting to the finish line in 20.52 seconds. He broke Rio Olympian Mohammed Ansas’ previous national record of 20.63 seconds.

Borgohain said that when he was down in the dumps after finishing second in his heats on Tuesday, the only thing that motivated him for the next day other than a long chat with coach James Hillier and his psychologist was binge watching Dragon Ball Z.

“I am a huge fan of Anime and I watch a lot of Dragon Ball Z and get inspired by Goku (the lead character). So after talking to my coach and psychologist I watched a lot of episodes on the internet and it boosted me. One thing Anime has taught me is that there is no limit. That is why I push myself each day,” said the sprinter.

The athlete further revealed that his drive for being a better version of himself was triggered by Goku’s achievement of Ultra Instinct.

“I have printed 20.50s on the cover of my phone, ” he told ESPN. “Since I have almost achieved it I will set a new target. In Dragon Ball Z, Goku always keeps improving himself when he fights until he finally achieves ultra [a temporarily transformed state in which Goku achieves nearly unstoppable power]. I feel like I have to be like Goku and be plus one in the next event. I never give up.”

Amlan Borgohain, who hails from Assam sprinted to win the gold medal in the men’s 200m race at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics 2022 in Kozhikode.

Athletics was not Borgohain’s first love. He wanted to become a footballer but injuries kept him away from his dreams. He realised his potential as an athlete at a school meet and decided to give it a try. During a competition, he was noticed by James Hillier, the chief coach at the Athletics High-Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, who assisted him in improving.

Source: Indian Express, ESPN