Vadodara: India celebrates the Neeraj Chopra and his golden spear, which writes history for the country in Javelin throwing the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.
But unfortunately, the country forgot all about other gold spears that dominated athletic trackers in national and international matches about four decades ago.
Today, the spear holder, Gujarati athletes from Vadodara, Razia Sheikh, lived an unclear life, against existential battles to meet their daily needs.
“I cried when I heard that Chopra won gold in a javelin throw – sports that was so close to my heart,” Sheikh said 62 years old, who was the first woman from India to cross the 50 meter barrier in Javelin throws in 1987 the South Asian Federation game.
His appearance in the tournament throws Javelin National is also amazing.
Sheikh, who now survived Railways Pension, told Tii, that it was encouraging to see all the awards and awards of cash that he got and I hope it inspires more young people to take athletics professionally.
“The Haryana government expanded all its support too.
Unfortunately, our state government did not recognize sports heroes,” he said.
Sheikh said that he had been given the Sardar Patel award, but did not get a lot of support outside it.
Ideally, the government does not only have to maintain its sportsmen but also involves veterans to prepare the next generation of athletes, Sheikh said, who maintains hope of being a sportsman since childhood despite its origin.
“In 1979, I participated in my first national javelin throws tournament and won the silver medal.
I didn’t look back,” said the veteran athlete who continued to win 25 gold medals and 12 silver medals in the national tournament.
Sheikh began playing cricket at the YSC Club at the age of 15 and was once a quick bowler feared in the field.
But after he was stored as an additional player in the Gujarat team in 1978, Sheikh began exploring athletics and carved a niche on the Athletics track.
In 1982, Sheikh played his first international tournament at the Asian Games in Delhi.
“I won my first gold in the South Asian match in 1987 in Kolkata and became the first Indian woman who crossed a 50 meter barrier,” remembered a passionant player.
Sheikh broke the 19-year national record of Javelin’s ladies of Indian women in the playmaker athletics met in Delhi in 1986.
He won nine medals including two gold in international matches.
“I was offered a train with a train but I stopped in 2003 because of the work politics.
I have to make a goal I meet so I started doing part-time work in school but life was difficult for several years before my pension rate increased,” he added.
“It is very unfortunate that medalist winners do not get maturity in our country.
I hope the performance of our athletes at the Tokyo Olympics brings positive changes in the attitude of people towards sportsmen,” he added.