Need customised shoes for my 6 toes: Gold medallist Swapna Barman
JAKARTA: The first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold, Swapna Barman on Wednesday made a plea to provide her more customised shoes for her 'abnormal' feet.
Barman, who has six toes in both her feet, produced her career-best performance by logging 6026 aggregate points from the seven events spread for two days. She competed with a tape on her right cheek to lessen pain arising out of teeth infection.
Before Barman, only Bengal's Soma Biswas and Karnataka's JJ Shobha and Pramila Aiyappa had returned with a medal from the Asian Games but none of them have won a gold.
Biswas and Shobha had finished two-three at both Busan Asian Games (2002) and the Doha Games (2006), while Pramila had won a bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou edition.
"I have got this gold on the National Sports day, so it's really special. I use normal shoes worn by people who have normal five toes. It really pains during training. It is very uncomfortable, whether I wear spikes or normal shoes," Swapna said with a smile. She said she also overcame a knee injury before the event.
Asked if she would like some companies to manufacture customised shoes for her, she said, "Definitely. It will make life easy." At one time, Barman's father was a rickshaw puller and bed-ridden due to a stroke suffered.
En route the title, she won the high jump (1003 points) and javelin throw (872 points) events and finished second-best in shot put (707 points) and long jump (865 points).
Her weakest events were 100m (981 points, 5th position) and 200m in which she finished seventh with 790 points. Going into the 800m run, the last of the seven-event competition, Barman was leading China's Qingling Wang by 64 points.
She needed a good run in the concluding event in which she eventually finished fourth. It was the same event in which she had collapsed during the Asian Athletics Championship last year in Bhubaneswar but despite finishing fourth today, she had emerged a champion.
Asked about the tape on her cheek she said, it was to lessen the pain in her teeth.
"I used to eat a lot of chocolates, so I have a teeth problem. It started paining two days before the event. It was severe but I could not let years of hard work go waste. So I forgot the pain and gave my best," said the undergraduate, who is fearing for final examination result.
"First day, I thought I won't be able to compete. It was unbearable. I thought what will happen to my hard work, I had to do it. I forgot the pain."
Another Indian in the fray, Purnima Hembram was 18 points behind Japan's Yuki Yamasaki going into the 800m run. She finished just ahead of Barman in the 800m run and overall fourth with 5837 points.
Qingling (5954) won the silver and Yamasaki the bronze with 5873 points. Swapna's mother awaits daugher's golden homecoming
Indian heptathlete Swapna Barman's mother will finally get to see her daughter after her historic gold medal winning feat at the Asian Games.
"Medal na jitle bari firbo na (won't return home, unless I win a medal)," Swapna had told her mother Basana Devi when she visited her family at Ghospara village, on the outskirts of Jalapaiguri town in North Bengal.
Belonging to Rajbbongshi tribe in North Bengal, Swapna's mother would work as a maid and also pluck leaves in tea gardens, while her father Panchanan Barman pulled van rickshaw till he got bedridden following a stroke seven years ago.
Born with six toes on each foot, Swapna is stubborn from childhood, said secretary of Jalpaiguri District Athletics Association Ujjal Das Chowdhury, who has followed Swapna's career from close quarters.
"If someone discourages her to do something, then Swapna will stick to it till she proves the person wrong," Das Chowdhury said.
Battling a back injury that requires her to take an injection under Dr Anant Joshi in Mumbai every month, Swapna had last visited her home after her Asian Athletics win in Bhubaneswar last year.
courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Hope West Asia conflict does not affect supply chain: Tata Group chairman
Jamshedpur (PTI): Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Tuesday hoped that the current conflict between Iran and the US-Israel does not affect the supply chain, and said the conglomerate has plans to mitigate risks that can emanate from the ongoing war in West Asia.
He also emphasised on the safety of employees of Tata group companies working in West Asia.
"Geopolitics is the most unpredictable situation. Last year was also a tough year. I think things will settle down soon, and I hope that the supply chain should not be a problem. As uncertainty prevailed in the geopolitical situation, we have planned to mitigate risks that can emanate from the prevailing situation, not only for the Tata Group but also for the country," he said.
Chandrasekaran, along with Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata and Tata Steel CEO and Managing Director T V Narendran and heads of various group companies, was here to pay tribute to Tata Steel Founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata on his 187th birth anniversary.
He said Tata Steel procures limestone from West Asia and has enough inventory.
"Tata Steel will diversify for alternative sources. We are confident that it will not be a problem," he said.
Chandrasekaran also said the safety of employees working in West Asia is now the group's priority.
"Our employees are working there in service companies, hotels. Air India planes are flying. Our main priority is the safety of our employees. Our group has been active for the last three days. All employees are safe," he said.
The Tata Group chairman said that there may be some ups and downs in businesses in view of the prevailing situation.
"If the business gets affected for a few days and months, it will be recovered, but our top priority is the safety of our employees and their families. We plan for the civilians and risk mitigation, safety of employees and business continuity, supply eco-system and our customers," he said.
Replying to a query on artificial intelligence, Chandrasekaran said AI offers plenty of opportunities for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Whenever there is such a technology change, people get anxious that everything will be automated, which will risk their employment, he said.
"Even discussions take place about which business will go up or down, but companies such as Tata Steel and Tata Motors integrate these tools to take full advantage, and TCS has a vast opportunity in the AI sector," he said.
He also said the group's businesses are expanding, and its employee base was around 7.5 lakh five years ago, and "today, it is over 11 lakh".
"Many manufacturing jobs are coming up with our expansion plan, and these figures are likely to go up to 15 lakh in the next five-six years. We need skilled people...young people from all disciplines," Chandrasekaran said, adding that the group was also investing in skill development.
Extending greetings to the people on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Tata Steel founder, Chandrasekaran said he was happy to be in Jamshedpur.
Tata Steel, which will complete 120 years of operations this May, continues to thrive and is pushing forward with new technology, he said.
In Jamshedpur, he said, Tata Motors is also investing in building next-generation technology using hydrogen.
Tata Power is also expanding its partnership with Tata Steel and Tata Motors in renewable energy technology, he said.
"Many things are happening, and we would like to see how we can be part of the ecosystem and continue to grow," he said.
Asked about his meeting with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi on Monday, Chandrasekaran said it was constructive.
"We have announced an investment of Rs 11,000 crore to develop something to address carbon footprint," he said.
