Local athlete clinches bronze in Aus open c’ship

Ludhiana: Local athlete Sharanjit Kaur (30) has secured a bronze medal for the nation in the Open Australian Master Athletic Championship, which recently concluded at the Lake Side Stadium in Melbourne. Coming back to the field after a gap of 13 years, Kaur participated in the 400-metre race of the 30+ age category, clinching the bronze.
She had shifted to Ludhiana almost nine years ago because of her husband’s business. Living with her husband and a 10-year-old son in Kochar Market, Kaur had added glory to her name last year too by clinching a gold medal in the 1st Asian Veteran Games, organised by the International Sports Development Board at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. She has now become an inspiration for other housewives, as she refused to hang up her boots for too long, and came back to the sports arena with a bang.
Speaking about what motivated her to continue participating in competitive sports even after a 13-year-gap due to marriage, she said: “I was passionate about fitness and games, and I have participated in different sports since my childhood. I was a football player representing Sri Muktsar Sahib in various state championships, but in 2004, I left the game and got married to Gurkirpal Singh (a computer engineer) in 2006. And in 2010, I shifted to Ludhiana.”
She added: “In this gap of 13 years, I started feeling physically weak, and was also facing health issues. Therefore, I decided to start my sporting career again. But I was 29 and married, having a 10-year-old son too. So, to decide which game would be better for me at this stage, I went to different coaches, and they suggested that I step into athletics.”
“After qualifying for an international event, I was facing trouble arranging money to reach Australia for the event. Then, local politician Mamta Ashu (councillor) and her husband Bharat Bhushan Ashu (cabinet minister) helped me a lot in reaching this stage of my life. Both of them supported me financially to take on all the challenges in my journey, and inspired me to do something special for the country. Due to their help, I was able to participate in Australia, and won a medal for my nation,” Kaur told TOI.