It’s a story that could have borrowed some of its plot from a Bollywood movie, but audiences might have scoffed at the improbable ending Krishna Poonia achieved in real life.
A script containing some classic storytelling themes — poor rural upbringing, family tragedy, arranged marriages and political ambitions — was afforded its defining element when Poonia put in an historic performance at the Commonwealth Games held in 2010.
In the entire 80-year history of the quadrennial sporting jamboree, no Indian female had ever claimed gold in a track and field event until Poonia snatched a momentous victory in the women’s discus.
Her winning throw of 61.51 meters led an Indian clean sweep in the event (compatriots Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil took silver and bronze respectively) and also ensured India’s first win in the athletics stadium since the runner Milkha Singh, known as “The Flying Sikh,” had taken gold in the men’s 440 yards at the Games held in Cardiff, Wales way back in 1958.
“I can never forget that moment when I won the gold medal and when I took the victory lap with the flag,” Poonia told CNN’s Human to Hero series.
“For four years I was seeing the moment in my dreams and now I was finally seeing it in reality,” she added wiping away tears from her eyes.
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“For a very long time, the culture of our country has been a very male dominating one and the male child has been given a lot of importance,” she says.
“Until the time we are not able to abolish the discrimination of a boy and a girl within the family this thing will continue — (a child’s) thinking develops from this situation.”
Poonia also advocates that dowries — which are officially banned in India, though gifts to grooms and his family are still common — should be put towards a girl’s education so “she is able to stand on her own two feet,” she says.
“They say the first teacher is the mother. If she is educated she will give good virtues to her children she can change the atmosphere of her house. The base of our society starts from there.”
Few would argue with that assertion.
