Discipline: Distance
Coach: Proshattom Lal
Club: Jetrunners
Personal Bests:
- 800m – 2mins 03.40s (18/02/2017 Grand Prix Series Round 2, Suva Fiji)
- 1500m – 4mins 17.66s (24/06/2017 Oceania Team Fiji Trials, Lautoka Fiji)
- 3000m – 8mins 56.30s (06/07/2019 2019 Oceania Grand Prix, Lautoka Fiji)
- 5000m – 15mins 49.93s (20/07/2019 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)
- 10,000m – 33mins 08.00s (14/04/2017 Easter National Championships, Suva Fiji)
He is seen on facebook “hastaging” the phrase “Volkswagon man” drawing acknowledgement to his supporters and sponsors at Pala’s Autohause in Nadi but one can safely draw the narration of his crazy work ethic to that of the fine, farness and flawless German automotive engineering of a Volkswagen vehicle. That same work ethic has landed Avikash ranking as the number 1 long distance runner in Fiji in 2017 in the 5000m and 10000m. Son of former Fiji distance rep Proshattom Lal, Avikash has to wake up at 4am every morning to train and then returns home to do farm work before going to work. “I love running but we are also farmers, I cannot forego my daily duties, so I juggle my schedule to ensure that I am able to train morning and afternoon,” Lal. He first burst out on the athletics scene at the 2012 Coca Cola Games as a 17 year old representing Votualevu College in the Intermediate Boys’ 1500m and the Open Grade 3000m finishing 4th in both events respectively. Since then, Lal as represented Fiji at 2 World Cross Country Championships, 2 Oceania Cross Country Championships, the 2015 SPG and the 2016 Melanesian Championships where he finished 1st in the 10k and 2nd in the 5k. Lal recently returned from the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa with a silver in the Men’s 5000m and a gold in the Men’s Half Marathon.