Bhagwani Devi picked up the shot put for the primary time at 94.
Up till then, she had lived a lifetime of hardship and sorrow.
Born in Haryana’s Khedka village, Devi misplaced her son and husband earlier than she turned 30. She was pregnant with their different son on the time. Four years later, her elder daughter died.
She determined not to remarry and labored lengthy hours within the subject to fend for her household. She additionally underwent a bypass surgical procedure in 2007.
All the previous sorrows turned to happiness when she embraced sports activities.
Within six months of taking over athletics in January 2022, when her grandson and coach Vikas Dagar gave her a shot put, Devi received three medals on the World Masters Championships (outside) in Finland final yr.
She received gold in 100m and a bronze every in shot put and discus throw within the 90-94 age class. Soon, phrase unfold about her achievement and folks began calling her ‘Sprinter Dadi’.
Now, at 95, when persons are barely in a position to stroll, Devi is ‘sprinting’ in the direction of her dream of bringing laurels for India.
Last week, she clinched three gold medals on the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championship 2023 in Torun, Poland in 60m dash, discus throw and shot put.
Just having the ability to compete at worldwide sporting meets at this age is a testomony to the Najafgrah nonagenarian’s health and resilience as she continues to defy age. And, she doesn’t plan to cease any time quickly.
“Aur jeetungi, jab take jeeungi tab tak jeetati hello jaaungi. (I will win extra, until the time I’m alive I will preserve profitable medals),” she said on Tuesday after returning from Poland.
So how does she keep herself fit for competitions?
“Mere fitness ka raaz hai desi khaana, mera bypass ho rakha hai, chiknai nahi khaati. Dahi, doodh khaati hu. (I have had a bypass surgery so I don’t eat fat. I eat curd and milk.”
According to the championships’ web site, Devi ran the 60m dash in 36.59 seconds. She competed within the girls’s 85-plus class (a mixed occasion of W85 and W95) and she or he was the lone runner within the W95 class. Five different rivals of W85 additionally ran alongside along with her and so they have been awarded separate gold, silver and bronze medals.
In shot put, Devi produced a greatest throw of two.93 metres and she or he was the lone competitor in W95 class. Just like in 60m dash, she took half in shot put in a mixed W80-plus occasion together with rivals of W80, W85 and W90 classes.
Each of the sub-categories of W80, W85 and W90 — as nicely as W95 — have been awarded medals.
In discus throw additionally, she was the lone participant within the W95 class and produced an effort of 4.67m. Just like within the different two occasions, she competed in a mixed occasion of W80-plus discus throw together with individuals of W80, W85 and W90.
“Her subsequent goal is the Asian Masters Championships in November within the Philippines. She might be competing for the primary time within the Asian Championships and we hope to win gold medals there as nicely,” her coach Vikas, a para-athlete who has won medals in long jump and 100m for India in international meets, told PTI.
“After that, she will compete in the World Masters Championships (outdoors) in Sweden next year and we are hopeful she will do better than the gold and two bronze she won in Finland last year.”
Asked how he first thought his grandmother might compete within the worldwide area, Vikas stated, “When she threw the shot put for the primary time… due to the information I had… I knew she would do nice. I have performed two Asian Games.”
He shared an anecdote about his grandmother’s desire to win the “yellow” medal on a regular basis.
“Last yr, when she broke the nationwide and Asian file to win gold, at the moment she had additionally received two bronze. When she received the primary medal — a bronze — in shot put, she stated, ‘yeh mere wala nahi hai’ (this isn’t mine) as a result of she all the time received gold within the nationals. When she received gold later within the night, she stated ‘yes, this is my medal’.”
Devi walks six kilometres a day, five days a week, and undergoes technical training on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We cannot let her do too much training at this age. Her muscles will not allow it. As far as her diet is concerned, she eats everything prepared at home but avoids things which have lots of fat as she has had a bypass surgery,” Vikas stated.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)
