Another daughter of India has made the whole nation proud by winning a gold for the first time in Asian Games 2018. Swapna Barman is a 21-year-old athlete. She won a gold at the Asian Games 2018, Jakarta, Indonesia becoming the first Indian Heptathlete to do so. Despite many injuries in the past and one just before the big event at the Asian Games, the invincible girl helped India to raise the medal tally of golds at the Asian Games 2018. Let’s check out some interesting details/facts about Swapna Barman that might surprise you.
Contents
Biography/Wiki
Swapna Barman after winning Gold at Asian Games
She was born on 29 October 1996 into a family that goes below the poverty line of India. Swapna hails from West Bengal, India. After her father suffered a stroke in 2013, he got bedridden and the pressure to earn the livelihood for the family fell upon Swapna’s Shoulder. She had to participate in National Level Events or games or competitions despite her injuries so that she could so support her family with the prize money. Her struggle went on till 2017 when she started getting scholarships by the ‘GoSports’ Foundation through the ‘Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme‘ and a regular stipend by the ONGC. The athlete was also ranked first in the Heptathlon at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. She is trained at the SPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA NETAJI SUBHAS EASTERN CENTRE, KOLKATA.
Physical Appearance
Swapna Barman has 5′ 3 height and weighs around 50kgs. Her figure measurements are 32-26-32. She has black eyes and black hair colour.
Swapna Barman
Swapna Barman
Family & Religion
She was born on 29 October 1996 in Ghospara village, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. She is born in a Hindu family to Panchanan Barman who is a Rickshaw Driver and Basana who is a worker at a Tea Estate. Her family has lived an underprivileged life and they rely on Swapna’s earning to sustain their livelihood. Her mother sighs at the fact that she is not able to feed her daughter with the proper diet needed by an athlete’s body. Swapna’s historic win at the Asian Games 2018, her family celebrated with great pomp and show. Everybody distributed sweets in Ghospara (her village) to celebrate the first gold of West Bengal in Heptathlon in Asian Games.
Family members of Swapna Barman celebrate at their residence in Jalpaiguri after she won gold medal in Women's Heptathlon at #AsianGames. Her mother says,"We're very happy. Me & Swapna's dad toiled hard to help her in her journey. Today all our dreams came true." #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/oXMvTwornT
— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2018
In an interview, her mother revealed that she did not watch Swapna’s win at the Asian Games and she locked herself in a temple and kept praying to “Kali Mata” for her victory.
Career
After her schooling, she took admission in Charuchandra College, Kolkata. She was rejected by her coach, Subhash Sarkar when she first came to him for training in the high jump. He was looking for athletes from other sports as well. Swapna’s high-jump performance was full of power and undying strength that he changed his mind and selected her for training.
Swapna Barman with her coach
In 2014, she stood 5th at the Asian Games 2014 held in Incheon, South Korea. She was given a scholarship of ₹1.5 Lakh in 2016 for recognition of her talent. Swapna was ranked first in the Heptathlon at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. She also won a gold at the Patiala Federation Cup 2017.
The athlete is said to have broken many of her own records. In the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, Swapna bagged the women’s heptathlon gold (consisting: 100m, High Jump, 200m, Shot Put, Javelin Throw, Long Jump, and 800m), rising the medal tally of India’s gold in the Asian Games. She became the first Indian Heptathlete to win the gold in Asian Games.
Favourites
- She is a great admirer of the Jamaican athlete, Usain Bolt.
- Her favourite singer is Lata Mangeshkar.
Facts
- It is surprising to know that Swapna has 6 toes in each of her foot, having a total of 12 nails.
Swapna Barman having 12 nails
- During the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships, Swapna got unconscious at the final event of the 800 meters. She also stood fourth in the event.
- She has suffered many injuries in the past and even before the Asian Games 2018, she had an unbearable pain in her tooth caused by an infection. Despite the pain, the proud daughter got India a gold medal.
Swapna Barman while performing at the Asian Games 2018
- Even the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate Swapna for bagging gold in Heptathlon in Asian Games.
A talented athlete wins a prestigious medal.
Well done @Swapna_Barman96 for winning the Gold in the Heptathlon. This success demonstrates the skills and perseverance you are blessed with. India is extremely proud of you! #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/bjYqFI0dXN
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2018
