95-year-old Bhagwani Devi wins 3 gold medals for India at World Master Athletics Championships

Bhagwani Devi Dagar, aged 95, won three gold medals in Discuss Throw at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championship in Torun, Poland.

The athlete ran 100m faster than everyone in the 90-94 age category at the 2023 World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland.

Additionally, she won gold in shot put and discus throw in the 95-99 age group.

Dagar also shared a video of herself learning to throw from an elderly competitor. “One lamp does not lose anything by lighting another lamp. Meet my friend who often helps me to improve my game. That’s the beauty of the game," she wrote.

Union sports minister Anurag Thakur congratulated on the win and tweeted, “What an inspiration! Our #NaariShakti never fails to make us proud. Kudos to 95 years old Bhagwani Devi ji for winning 3 gold medals in the 9th World Master Athletics Indoor Championships. Your champion mentality is a true testament of Fit India."

Bhagwani Devi, who was born in Haryana's Khedka village, married at the age of 12 and was widowed at the age of 30. Devi decided not to remarry after losing a newborn boy after her husband died and instead focused on her young daughter and another kid she was pregnant with at that time.

Her eight-year-old premature daughter also died after four years, leaving her toddler son as her only child. Devi fought against all the odds to support herself and her kid. She took help from her elder sister, who had also married into the same family. Her efforts eventually paid off, and Bhagwani Devi's son was hired as a clerk in the Delhi Municipal Council, which helped the family's financial situation.

Bhagwani Devi soon became a grandmother, having three grandkids. Vikas Dagar, the eldest, developed a keen interest in sports and went on to represent India in various contests, including the Asian Games, despite his lack of coordination. Vikas, a Khel Ratna Awardee, has numerous records as a para-athlete.