Pune Railway Employee Keerthi Wins Four Gold Medals, Sets Two National Records in Cycling Championship

Reported by Amit Singh
Pune, 6th November 2026: Keerthi Rangaswamy, a Junior Clerk in the Personnel Department of Central Railway’s Pune Division, has brought laurels to the Railways by winning four gold medals and the prestigious Best Women Cyclist Award at the 78th Senior National Track Cycling Championships held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Competing against cyclists from across the country, Keerthi Rangaswamy delivered an exceptional performance in the championship, winning gold medals in the 200 meter Sprint, 1 km Team Sprint, 1 km Time Trial and Keirin events. She also set two national records, clocking 1 minute 13.807 seconds in the 1 km Individual Time Trial and 1 minute 09.966 seconds in the Team Sprint.

Her performance earned her the Best Women Cyclist title, a recognition she described as a long-cherished dream that had remained just out of reach on several occasions during her cycling career.

For Rangaswamy, the achievement carries significance beyond the medals and records. Recalling her journey, she told Punekar News that winning the Best Women Cyclist title had been one of her ambitions since she began cycling.

“Being the Best Rider was a dream right from the beginning of my cycling journey. I had missed the title by very small margins many times, and sometimes those disappointments made me feel very low. However, I never lost hope. I kept pushing myself, both physically and mentally, and continued working towards that goal. Finally winning the title, especially alongside setting two national records, made me feel like I was flying among the stars. It was an extremely emotional moment for me,” she said.

Railway employment supports her sporting journey

A Commerce graduate, Rangaswamy is employed as a Junior Clerk in the Personnel Department of Central Railway’s Pune Division. She credited her employment with the Railways for providing financial stability and a professional identity, enabling her to continue pursuing competitive cycling, a sport that involves substantial expenditure.

“Getting a Railway job gave me an identity and continuous financial support, which helps me keep up with this very expensive sport of cycling,” she told Punekar News.

Her association with the Railways has enabled her to continue competing at national and international levels while maintaining her professional responsibilities.

Personnel Department recognises her achievement

Senior Divisional Personnel Officer Jitendra Singh congratulated Rangaswamy on her performance and highlighted the significance of her achievement for the Personnel Department and Central Railway.

“Keerthi’s achievement is a matter of pride for the entire Personnel Department and Central Railway. Winning four gold medals, setting two national records and being adjudged the Best Women Cyclist at a prestigious national championship reflects her exceptional talent, discipline and commitment to the sport. Her journey demonstrates the importance of perseverance and the ability to overcome challenges while balancing professional responsibilities with the demands of competitive sports. The Personnel Department is proud to have an employee who is representing the Railways at such a high level. Her accomplishment will serve as an inspiration to other railway employees, particularly young women, to pursue their ambitions in sports alongside their careers. We wish her continued success in her upcoming competitions and hope to see her achieve many more milestones,” he said.

Overcoming fatigue and mental pressure before the championship

Behind the four gold medals was a challenging preparation phase. Rangaswamy revealed that recovering from the demanding Asian Games campaign and regaining her competitive form ahead of the national championship had tested her physically and mentally.

She explained that the intensive training and competition schedule following the Asian Games left her body and mind in need of recovery. However, the demanding sporting calendar offered little opportunity for a break.

“After the rigorous workouts and competitions at the Asian Games, my body and mind were in great need of relaxation and a holiday, which we never really got. Performing at the Nationals is always an uphill and demanding task. After the Asian Games, my body went into fatigue. During the Railway camp, my legs were not spinning or producing the force they normally did. It pushed me into mental trauma,” she said.

She credited meditation, patience and her coach’s continued encouragement for helping her overcome the difficult phase.

“Meditation and patience helped me. I allowed those disappointing three weeks to pass instead of losing hope. My coach kept motivating me and continued to trust my abilities. That support worked. As the competition started, I found myself getting back into form, and the rest is glory now,” she said.

Expressing happiness over achieving one of her biggest sporting ambitions, she added that she was looking forward to upcoming training camps and competitions.

“I’m super happy. One dream has been accomplished, but there are many more dreams to fulfil in the future. I’m excited about the upcoming camps and competitions,” she said.

Consistent performances at national and international competitions

Rangaswamy’s latest performance builds on a series of achievements at national and international competitions over the past several years.

At the 2025 Senior National Track Cycling Championship in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, she won gold medals in the 1 km Time Trial and Team Sprint events, besides securing silver in the 200-metre Sprint.

At the 2025 National Games in Rudrapur, she won three gold medals in Scratch Race, Keirin and Omnium.

Her earlier national achievements include a gold medal in Individual Pursuit and two silver medals in Scratch Race and Omnium at the 2024 Senior National Track Cycling Championship in Chennai. At the 2023 National Games in Goa, she secured three silver medals and one bronze medal. She also won a bronze medal in Individual Pursuit at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat.

On the international circuit, she secured three silver medals in the 1 km Time Trial, 200-metre Sprint and Keirin at the 2025 Track Asia Cup in Chennai.

She has also represented India at the Junior Asian Track Cycling Championship in Seoul in 2019, the Senior Asian Track Cycling Championships in Malaysia in 2025 and the Philippines in 2026, as well as the 2026 World Cup events in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

At the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, she finished sixth in Team Sprint, 10th in Keirin and 13th in the 200-metre Sprint event.

Commenting on her achievement, Pune Division PRO Hemant Kumar Behera said, “This remarkable achievement by a Railway employee highlights the talent, dedication, determination and sporting spirit of Central Railway staff, who continue to excel not only in their professional duties but also in sports at the national level.”