Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur put up a show for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Saturday. Plying her trade in qualification B of the Summer Games 2020, the Indian discus thrower managed to send a distance of 64m in her third and final attempt to secure her berth for the final round at the grandest stages of them all. Since India never won a medal in athletics at the Summer Games, the 25-year-old is hoping to script history by becoming the first discus thrower to bag a podium finish.
For the unversed, Kamalpreet is not new to making headlines as the 25-year-old had earlier shattered India’s national record in the world of discus throw twice. Reflecting on her incredible Olympic journey, the Patiala-based discus thrower spoke at length about inspiring an entire community by scripting history at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Breaking stereotypes in the world of sports, Kamalpreet opened up about coming from a conservative Indian background.
Speaking to the Olympic channel, Kamalpreet revealed that her people in her village are ‘very conservative’. “They believe that a girl should focus on her studies. If she is unable to study then teach her how to do household chores and get her married. So, it [playing a sport] used to be very tough for me since childhood,” she said.
Joining American Valarie Allman (66.42m) on Saturday, the Indian discus thrower became the second automatic qualifier for the final round at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. “In my village, one girl’s mistake affects the life of 100 other girls. All other girls will be given the example that that one particular girl did that wrong. I feel now that I’ve done something, I’ll be a good example for girls. I feel this change will come,” she added.
Kamalpreet outclassed defending gold-medallist Sandra Perkovic (63.75m) and reigning world champion Yaime Perez (63.18) by entering the finals of the Tokyo Games 2020. However, Perkovic qualified at third and Perez bagged the seventh finish. Kamalpreet will represent India in the final of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on August 2.
