Karnataka athlete Poovamma on bagging gold and silver at Asian Games 2026

“We have proved that the golden girls are back!” says MR Poovamma, joy still permeating her words, the morning after the women’s 4×400 relay team bagged the gold medal at the Asian Games on Tuesday. The athlete, who also got a silver as part of the 4×400 mixed relay team days earlier, adds, “Everyone was eagerly waiting to hear the national anthem in the stadium. After winning gold continuously between 2002 and 2018, in 2022 we lost it to silver. So we knew we had to prove that we could win as Indians.”

Those of us outside the realm of professional sports may think that a win like this deserves a night full of celebrations, but things were more low-key for Poovamma, who chatted with CE as her friends took a moment to shop for souvenirs. “I’m not a very outgoing person; my only passion is running, and I’m very bad at sightseeing,” she laughs, adding that she’s looking forward to coming home on Thursday.

Putting all her energy into training in the lead up to the Asian Games, Poovamma has not been to her native Mangaluru for the last seven months. The first call she made once she crossed the finish line made it all worth it for her proud family. The last five years have been a difficult time for her; in 2021, she was given a two-year ban for failing a doping test. Poovamma credits her husband, Jithin Paul, for being the reason that she kept moving forward ever since. “My coach used to send the workouts, and my husband encouraged me to train; he used to look after my training programme. He used to go the office, then come home and cook for me so that I don’t get tired. My mom used to help me out too. Everyone’s sacrifice has mattered a lot, so I’m happy that I can give them a gold and silver medal.”

In the immediate lead up to the games, though, Poovamma shares that the key to her success was the training camp in Poland and Jamaican coach Jerry Lee Holness helping her overcome apprehensions she had about competing at 36. “Sometimes, I lost hope, thinking about whether I would be able to compete at this age, but he is the one who always motivated me, saying, ‘You are in peak form now. Don’t think about age; think you are 24,” says Poovamma.

With the high stakes of restoring the women’s relay team’s streak, does the pressure not get to our golden girl? Poovamma admits, “Taking part in so many competitions this year, we were in the mindset of competing. But at the Asian Games, the pressure is different. No matter the years of experience, it will be there. And a little nervousness is necessary to not be overconfident.”

Sadly, the win is tinged with frustration and disappointment too for Poovamma, who has been advocating for more monetary support from the Karnataka government for its athletes. “I feel very disappointed because some of my teammates in the relay are being awarded three crores. Kerala has increased the reward to 50 lakhs, but Karnataka is still at 35 lakhs, much lower than other states. It’s not about the amount, but the recognition is motivating my teammates to keep competing from their state. Why is Karnataka sleeping?” asks Poovamma, adding that upon her return, she plans to take the issue directly to the Chief Minister’s office.

When asked what’s next, she says that right now, she’s just ‘enjoying the moment’. But if all goes well, she adds, “I’m hoping that you all will see me in Los Angeles for the Olympics. Let’s see what God has in store for me.”

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