New Delhi: Swapna Barman may have become the first Indian heptathlete to win a gold at the Asian Games but she rued the fact that she could not achieve her best in some of the events, which made the contest a tight one in the end.
“I could not do my best in high jump, 200m, 100m hurdles and 800m. High jump is my best event. But it did not happen in Jakarta. Fortunately, I did well in javelin and that compensated,” the 21-year-old Barman said in an interaction. Shot put and long jump are the other two events in heptathlon.
Barman collected 6,026 points, her career best, to win the gold. Her earlier best from the seven events was 5942. The national record of 6,211 still stands in the name of JJ Sobha since 2004.
“Six thousand is a big score, but I could have done better. But I am happy to have won the gold in Asian Games in spite of so many injuries I have been carrying in the last one year and also during this Asian Games,” she added.
Barman competed in the two-day event with a taped right cheek to lessen pain arising out of teeth infection. “The teeth problem started two days before the competition and the pain was severe. I was having a slight knee injury which I have been carrying since the Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar last year. But I never thought of dropping out of the event,” asserted the heptathlete.
Meanwhile the government Tuesday felicitated the medal winners of the 18th Asian Games with cash awards.
While individual gold medal winners were given Rs 40 lakh, the silver and bronze winners took home Rs 20 and Rs 10 lakh each.
India registered their best ever medal haul in the history of the Asian Games, fetching 69 medals which included 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze.
Windfall for Hima
Guwahati: Sprinter Hima Das who finished with one gold and two silver medals at the Jakarta Asian Games will be felicitated here September 7, the state government announced Tuesday. During the programme the government will also present Hima with a cheque of rupees one crore and sixty lakh. Hima who has come up from a very poor family thanked the Assam government for the award.
