Swapna’s gold like balm on our journey of struggle: Soma
KOLKATA: Only four heptathletes from India had breached the 6000point barrier before Wednesday. So it was appropriate that Dronacharya award-winning athletics coach, Kuntal Roy, would rate Swapna Burman’s gold medal winning performance with 6026 points as indication of her entry into an elite group among Asians.
“It is the equivalent of breaking the 8000 points barrier in decathlon,” said Roy who coached Soma Biswas and Sushmita Singha Roy to medals at the Asian level. Biswas bagged silver in the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games’ heptathlon and Singha Roy took silver and bronze respectively in the 2005 and 2007 Asian Championships.
“Swapna’s gold is a victory for the entire fraternity of people associated with heptathlon,” said Biswas, who is the first Indian to break the 6000-point barrier. “My silver in Busan showed people we could be world class in heptathlon. Swapna’s gold is like a balm on our journey of struggle. I feel proud as a Bengali and an heptathlete,” added Biswas.
“It was Swapna’s effort in the high jump and javelin that tipped the scales,” said Roy. On way to becoming the first Indian to bag the heptathlon gold, Burman won the high jump with 1003 points and the javelin competition with 872 points. “If you do very well in two or three events, you make it very difficult for the rest of the field to catch up,” said Roy.
Given her mental resilience, Roy said he was confident that Burman would finish among medals. Like many athletes in India, Burman comes from an economically challenged background. Her father has been ill and unemployable since Burman, 21, was a child. Mother Basana worked at a tea garden. “My daughter has struggled with injuries recently. She had a hip problem and then hurt her leg. To have overcome all that and win gold makes me immensely proud,” said Basana, breaking down while speaking to a Bangla news channel in Jalpaiguri in north Bengal where they stay.
Add to that the fact that Burman has 12 toes, meaning getting shoes for her posed an even bigger challenge in a sport that requires different pairs for a number of events.
Barring Biswas, GG Pramilla, JJ Shobha and Singha Roy scored over 6000 before Burman.
Roy also felt that Burman was helped by the legacy left by Biswas and Singha Ray. “It helps if someone has trod the path before you,” he said. “I wish the state and the country will take combined events more seriously now.”