Seema’s absence gives Navjeet edge
PATIALA: Punjab’s upcoming discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon will finally get a chance to come out of the shadows of the likes of 2014 Asian Games gold medallist Seema Punia when the four-day Federation Cup kicks off here on Friday.
Seema, who is reportedly training in Russia, has been exempted by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) from competing in the season opener and 24-year-old Navjeet --- winner of bronze medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last year --- has a great chance of emerging on the national stage and stake claim for inclusion in top international tournaments.
On the eve of the event, Navjeet said she would be looking at her role model, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, to give a good performance here, adding, “Neeraj has shown that athletes in India can excel without taking per- formance-enhancing drugs.”
“If athletes adhere to a proper programme, there is no need to take shortcuts to fame,” said Navjeet, who couldn’t make the cut for the Asian Games in Jakarta. The Punjab athlete said she would be aiming to cross the 60-metre mark at the Federation Cup, adding that her personal best was 59.18 recorded last year.”i have been working on my fundamentals to inch closer to my goal,” she said.
Seema’s absence though is a huge dampener and AFI secre- tary-general CK Valson said, she had been given “exemption”. The AFI official, however, had no answer when asked where Seema was training. “We don’t know where she,” he said.
Chief national coach Bahadur Singh too refused to elaborate, saying, “I have no clue about her (whereabouts).” It is learnt Seema is in Russia, which has been banned by the athletics world governing body, IAAF. In fact, Seema had made Russia here training base in the buildup to the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Jakarta Asian Games.
Seema’s husband, Ankush Punia, said she was training abroad. “She had a foot surgery and is undergoing rehabilitation. She is not fit to compete,” he said.
Navjeet, meanwhile, gives credit for her success to her parents. “All our savings have been spent in training. A good pair of shoes for competition cost upwards of R8,000, and a top-level thrower needs a minimum of six pairs each year,” she said.