At 18, Parth Singh stands at a rare crossroads for Indian athletics a teenager who sprints like a pure sprinter and soars like a natural jumper.
In the same breath, he also represents something more complex, a young athlete who trains in one country, calls another his homeland, and yet belongs emotionally to both.
Raised in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Parth has spent most of his adolescence at the National Taiwan University of Sport, learning under the mentorship of Coach Yu Wen Long, a man he credits for discovering his talent.
The young Indian’s story of balancing two nations, two athletic systems, and two dreams is both a testament to his determination and a case study in how globalization is shaping India’s next generation of athletes.
“I never represented Taiwan I only competed for my city and school.”
Parth briefly found himself at the center of a complex eligibility debate when reports surfaced suggesting he had competed for Chinese Taipei at the Taipei Open Athletics Meet.
Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior had earlier clarified that he was ineligible for naturalisation and therefore could not represent the country in international competitions.
Yet on the World Athletics website, Parth is listed under Chinese Taipei an ambiguity that sparked conversation among fans and officials alike.
Parth, however, sets the record straight.
“I have never represented Chinese Taipei or Taiwan at the international level,” he said firmly in our conversation. “I’ve competed in Taiwan at the national level because I represented my city and my school. In Taiwan, everyone does track and field through their schools. That’s how the system works.”
The misunderstanding, he explains, likely arose from a data entry oversight during the Taipei Open, where he ran in the 4x100m relay for his city’s U20 team.
“Even if the event listed me as ‘Chinese Taipei U20,’ it was a city representation, not national. You can check the Taiwanese websites I have pictures from those meets. Everyone else was Taiwanese; I was the only Indian. I have an Indian passport, not a Taiwanese one.”
That last line “I have an Indian passport” underscores a crucial point.
For all the administrative confusion, Parth’s allegiance is clear. He has never held a Chinese passport and has always considered India the nation he aims to represent internationally.
“Taiwan is my home, but India is my nation.” Parth’s words echo a quiet emotional duality.
“I can proudly call Taiwan my home,” he says softly. “I love the people there they’ve been incredibly supportive. Even though I’m Indian, they’ve always trained me, cheered for me, and treated me with respect. But when it comes to representing a flag, my nation is India.”
His affection for Taiwan, he adds, is personal. It’s where he grew up, found his calling, and learned the discipline that defines his athletic style. But it was always part of the plan to compete as Indian and represent the tricolor.
“We were always planning to come back to India to compete,” he says. “I didn’t start track and field with that goal in mind. I was just studying in Taiwan when my coach scouted me in elementary school. But as my interest grew, we knew we’d want to represent India someday. That was always the dream.”
The Coach Who Saw It First
Parth’s journey began when Coach Yu Wen Long spotted him during a school event.
“I didn’t even know what track and field was back then,” Parth laughs. “He saw me run and said, ‘You’ve got talent.’ From then, he took me under his wing.”
Coach Wen didn’t just train him to sprint he helped Parth master the long jump, a discipline the teenager initially discovered through YouTube videos.
“I told him one day, ‘Can I try long jump?’ He said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ It was hard at first, but I think I have a natural feel for it. Over time, it became easy to balance the 100m and long jump together.”
That “balance” has since become Parth’s hallmark. In Bhubaneswar earlier this month, he produced one of the standout performances of the 40th National Junior Athletics Championships (NJAC) winning gold in both the men’s 100m and the long jump.
His 7.82m jump set a new meet record and easily cleared the World U20 qualifying mark (7.58m) for the 2026 World Championships in Oregon. He missed the 100m qualification mark by just 0.01 seconds. But what made that performance extraordinary was the context, Parth had landed in India after a 16-hour journey from Taiwan, with barely any rest, and without his coach by his side.
“I came alone, and it was hard but I believed in myself.”
“It was really tough,” he admits. “I came by myself. No coach, no team. It was a 16-hour flight and I was so tired I could barely sleep the night before the event. I kept wondering, how will I jump, how will I run without my coach?”
But Parth found strength in solitude.
“I think God helped me push through. I put my faith in God and in myself. And in the end, I did everything alone from travel to warm-up to recovery. My coach back home in Taiwan was proud of me, and so was I.”
That resilience, more than the medals, is what defines Parth Singh’s story. His journey to Bhubaneswar was self-funded, his performance self-driven, and his composure beyond his years.
Training in Taiwan: “It’s world-class like a pro setup.”
When asked about the difference between training in Taiwan and India, Parth doesn’t hesitate.
“Honestly, in Taiwan, it’s top-class world-class,” he says. “At my school, we have everything coaches, physiotherapists, masseurs, doctors, recovery systems. It’s like a professional setup. You get everything you need as an athlete.”
He describes a structured ecosystem where every athlete has access to modern sports science, consistent scheduling, and technical feedback.
“That’s why I say Taiwan is one of the best countries for track and field training. The environment, the people, the facilities everything helps you improve. Everyone supports each other.”
It’s also, he believes, one of the reasons he has developed so quickly. From 10.87 seconds in Feb 2024 to 10.51 in October 2025 his progression curve is steep. The same can be said for his long jump, where he’s already hitting world-class distances for his age.
Still, he acknowledges that India’s athletic infrastructure is improving, especially with new federations and training centers emerging across states.
“I haven’t trained much in India yet, so I can’t compare everything. But I know India is growing fast. I hope I can bring some of what I’ve learned in Taiwan and share it with Indian athletes in the future.”
While Parth has clarified his Indian citizenship, the official systems around him are still catching up.
AFI (Athletics Federation of India) has mentioned he holds an Indian passport and its likely they plan to coordinate with World Athletics to correct his country listing. For Parth, however, the process remains opaque.
“Right now, I don’t really know what’s happening with the World Athletics eligibility issue,” he says. “Nobody has told me anything yet. I’m waiting for updates. I’ll try to get in touch and see what’s going on.”
His situation raises important questions about cross-border athletes young Indians growing up and training abroad, yet aspiring to represent India. Without clear coordination between federations, their paths often become administrative mazes.
In Parth’s case, the confusion over his listing as a Taipei athlete was likely a technical oversight but it highlights how paperwork can obscure the achievements of genuine talent.
The Emotional Duality of Belonging
Despite the bureaucracy, Parth remains grounded and grateful.
“Even if I represent India, people in Taiwan are really happy for me,” he smiles. “They never betray me or treat me differently. They want me to succeed. That’s what I love about Taiwan the people are polite, supportive, and genuine.”
This harmony being Indian by passport, but Taiwanese by upbringing is what gives Parth a rare maturity for his age.
“In India, sometimes people may criticise differences,” he reflects. “In Taiwan, it’s not like that. They’re very respectful. I love staying there. It’s peaceful. It feels like home.”
Eyes on Oregon 2026 and Beyond
With his World U20 qualification secured, Parth’s focus now shifts to the 2026 World Championships in Oregon and the long road toward Los Angeles 2028.
“Right now, my main goal is Oregon,” he says. “I want to jump between 8.10 to 8.20 meters and break into the world level. But before that, I’ll take a short break let my body rest, recover, eat some junk food,” he laughs, “and then get back to training.”
He credits his coach and the Taiwanese system for giving him structure but he also knows his future lies in aligning with India’s high-performance ecosystem. A collaboration between AFI and his current training base could be mutually beneficial both for Parth’s development and for India’s growing presence in global athletics.
Parth Singh’s story is not just about talent it’s about transition. From Jharkhand to Taoyuan, from classroom tracks to Kalinga Stadium, he represents a generation of athletes whose lives and loyalties transcend borders.
His journey also serves as a mirror to India’s own athletic evolution: the need for systems that embrace diversity, manage globalized pathways, and nurture talent wherever it emerges.
“I love Taiwan. It’s home. But India is my nation,” Parth says one last time, with quiet conviction.
For a young man who can sprint 100 meters in 10.51 seconds and leap 7.82 meters into the air, that balance between two homes, two hearts might be his greatest strength of all.
