Chennai: Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna Barman may soon find her problem sorted as Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) are in talks with footwear giants Nike to design customised shoes for her. Swapna by birth has six toes on both feet and has often found it very painful to wear normal shoes.
Learning about her plight, ICF general manager S Mani has instructed the sports branch to immediately arrange and get the custom-made shoes and ensure that they reach Barman at the earliest.
Subsequently, ICF’s sports branch officials have contacted Nike for arranging supply of such special custom-made shoes for Barman, sources said here Friday. As the size of her shoes needs to be ascertained, they are now in touch with the Indian High Commission officials in Jakarta and also AFI officials to ascertain the same.
Since the heptathlon event consists of seven different activities it requires the athlete to use at least five different types of shoes for these events.
Though the West Bengal athlete does not belong to the Indian Railways Sports fraternity, as a measure of goodwill, the ICF has decided to present her with the custom-made shoes, the sources said.