After defeating Covid-19, Priyanka back on track for Olympic challenge
LUCKNOW: Race walker Priyanka Goswami loves challenges and knows the art of overcoming them, too. Despite narrowly missing the cut for the Tokyo Olympics in the 20km event at the nationals in 2019, she kept working hard even when the pandemic hit the world for the first time as she was sure of getting the ticket for the mega competition.
Finally, her wait ended at the Ranchi nationals in February this year when she not only clocked 1:28:45 seconds to qualify for the Tokyo Games, but also shattered the national record of Bhawna Jat (1:29:54), which she had set at the same event where Priyanka missed the cut for the Games by a mere 36 seconds in 2019.
Priyanka becomes only the third Indian woman to clinch an Olympic berth at the 20km race walking, an event that was only introduced at the 2000 Sydney Games. While race walker Khushbir Kaur represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bhawna Jat secured a place for the Tokyo Games in 2020.
The coronavirus disease temporarily shook the confidence of Priyanka early this month when she, along with five other athletes, tested positive at the Sports Authority of India’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. But the walker from Meerut overcame this soon and she is now back on track for her Mission Medal at the Olympics this July.
“It was really devastating after I missed the cut. But I didn’t lose my confidence. I was sure of getting the desired result. It came at the right moment even when the country was on the verge of facing the second wave of the pandemic,” Priyanka said on Tuesday.
“Just thinking about clocking 1:27:00 at Tokyo as this would be good enough to win a medal there. Not worrying about what I have gone through after testing positive at the national camp, and am focused on my training,” said Priyanka, 24.
“Finishing on top wasn’t the main target at the Ranchi nationals, but attaining the Olympic qualifying mark was. My only apprehension this time is about the commencement of the Olympics in such a situation when the entire world is facing the worst corona crisis,” she said.
“I am praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” she said, adding, “I didn’t lose my confidence while staying in quarantine. I kept doing my training as the impact (of Covid-19) wasn’t that serious. I was allowed some light training.”
Priyanka also said that in order to keep her motivated and also to stay away from all negativity, she was more focused on the Olympics news nowadays.
“Not reading any other news, staying away from TV and reading stuff only on the Olympics site. This is the best way to keep myself away from negativity and stay focused on training,” she said.
She said that when she was a child, she had never even dreamt of participating in the Olympics. Indeed, it was her love for a “sports bag” which brought her into the game. “I did gymnastics training for six months and I chose to run as I wanted to win a sports bag as a prize in athletics. But luck didn’t favour me. In one race walking event, there were only three girls participating. My coach asked me to walk with them. That’s when I got a sports bag and also my first bronze medal.”
Coming from a humble background, Priyanka was recently given the UP government’s prestigious Rani Laxmi Bai award and she is a great support to her family of four financially.
Her mother is a homemaker. The younger brother works for a private company and father is a bus conductor.
“I have seen days of crisis, but I kept working hard as I knew that “acchey din ayenge zaroor” (good days would come for sure). After winning a medal in the walk-race, I fell in love with the discipline. It’s quite boring when you walk alone for 20 km, but it’s altogether a different thing when you do it for winning medals,” said Priyanka, who wants to do modelling one day, if given the opportunity.
“I like clicking my pictures and would love to do modelling one day, if given the chance. But for now, I am focused on winning a medal at the Olympics as this would transform the lives of many, including me,” she concludes before joining the lunch table at SAI campus, where she has been training for the last 18 months.