India’s Asiad champion with 12 toes hopes to get ‘special shoes’
dubai — After having made Asian Games history on 12 toes, Indian heptathlete Swapna Barman now hopes to get special shoes so she can continue to raise the bar.
At the Jakarta Asian Games, Swapna’s 12 toes in shoes made for 10 were not her only worry.
After all, she has grown up defying the challenges posed by those two extra toes. But in Jakarta, a tooth infection forced Swapna, who had just overcome a knee injury, to miss a day’s training.
And yet, she returned to a hero’s welcome, becoming the first Indian woman heptathlete to clinch an Asiad gold.
Now Swapna hopes to get special shoes soon. “Yes, many people have promised that they would make special shoes. But as of now, nothing has happened. Also I have to see what’s best for me and accordingly, we have to go about it,” Swapna told Khaleej Times.
“Yes, talks are on, but nothing has been confirmed as of now.”
Her coach Subhash Sarkar remains hopeful. “We can’t give you the details because the company that is wiling to make those shoes do not want their name to appear anywhere now. But yes, it’s under process. We are hopeful that Swapna will soon get the special shoes,” Sarkar told Khaleej Times.
When Sarkar, a Sports Authority of India coach, first saw Swapna in her hometown, Jalpaiguri, North Bengal, he wasn’t impressed at all.
“She had lot of other deformities. She was short, she had big thighs and I thought how she could become a top athlete. But over the years, she has proved everyone wrong,” Sarkar said.
Swapna, who was born to a rickshaw-puller, laughed when we asked how her journey began with Sarkar as mentor. “I was so fat that he didn’t want to select me,” she joked. “But yes he saw the talent eventually, and decided to take a chance. And I haven’t disappointed him I think!”
The 21-year-old athlete “is not disappointed” at missing out on the prestigious Arjuna Award.
“I believe there is a time for everything. Hima (Das) and Neeraj (Chopra) deserved it this time. They have done so well at the junior world championships. Thanks to Hima and Neeraj, athletics has got lot of recognition now in India,” she said. “But my time will come. Since nobody had won the Asian Games gold in heptathlon from India before, I am sure the government will give me the award next year.”
Despite her family’s financial struggles, they always supported Swapna’s athletic ambitions.
“The support I got from my parents was unbelievable. It was tough for the family. But they always motivated me to come first all the time. Now I just want to fulfil all the dreams that they have from me as an athlete,” she said.
Swapna then revealed her own big dream. “Of course, every athlete dreams to play well at the Olympics,” she said.
“I also have the same dream and I will train very hard for the Olympics.” —
I was so fat that he (coach Subhash Sarkar) didn’t want to select me. But yes he saw the talent eventually, and decided to take a chance. And I haven’t disappointed him I think!
Swapna Barman