He won 9 gold medals at 2017 Australian Masters Games held in Tasmania

Mr Harbhajan Singh Aulakh may well be called Australia's Fauja Singh, since he has won dozens of medals at various Australian Masters Games since 2009. But after a recent 9-gold-medal-haul in Tasmania he told SBS Punjabi, "I'm not going to compete in Australia anymore - it's just not worth it."

Mr Harbhajan Singh Aulakh with his latest haul of gold medals at the 2017 Australian Masters Games Source: Supplied

Veteran athlete Harbhajan Singh Aulakh again proved his mettle in the field - he won a gold medal in every event he competed in, at the 2017 Australian Masters Games held in Tasmania. 

Competing in the 85+ age category, he participated in several track and field events, including 100m, 200m, 400m, hurdles and javelin, and every single time, he left his competitors way behind.

The nine gold medals Mr Aulakh won in Tasmania recently Source: Supplied

Despite the elation that comes with winning at national and international events repeatedly, he is disheartened.

Mr Aulakh told SBS Punjabi, "This is it. I'll never compete in Australia again."

"It is far too expensive for me. I pay for everything from my pocket - the flights, the accommodation, the entry fees, everything."

"Yes I've won all these medals - but what for? I come back from these events with empty pockets!""

It has taken a lot of dedication and physical hard work for Mr Aulakh to compete at various national and international events.

"I work as a fruit picker at a blueberry farm in Woolgoolga. Every single day, I pick berries from 7am to 4pm. On my way back from the farm, I run from 4-7pm to maintain my fitness."

"I have to work in order to earn enough money to compete these large events, because I have no sponsors."

Several times, people from the community have made false promises that they will support me financially, but they never actually help me financially. That's why I work in the blueberry farms, so I can save enough money to compete at track and field events."

"I don't think our community even cares," says Mr Aulakh.

Harbhajan Singh Aulakh, with the golden haul he earned at the Australian Masters Games 2017 Source: Supplied

"I have a dream that I must compete at events in USA and Canada, and I'm going to work hard to save money for that. It doesn't matter if I win or not - I just want to compete there."

Mr Aulakh feels there is nothing left to prove in Australia, since he has previously won 12 medals at a single Masters event, followed by many other successes. "So I've decided that I won't compete again within Australia."

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