Jaipur, July 6: Bhawna Jat, coming from a farmer’s family in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand region, will be representing India in the 20km race walk event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Fighting prejudices, financial constraints, and a biased mindset, Jat has been a champion all her life, winning against all odds since the beginning of her long, complicated journey from the tiny village of Kabra in Rajasthan. Making a humble start, she made headlines in February 2020 when she set the then national record at the National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi.
Bhawna completed the event in 1 hour 29 minutes and 34 seconds, well within the qualifying mark of 1 hour and 31 minutes needed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Her achievement has been remarkable as she belongs to a family of farmers which weren’t financially strong and because of it, she had to leave her college education. She fought the ‘regressive mindset’, encountering villagers who would tell her father to not send her out of the house.
However, her family, including her father and brother, supported Bhawna’s passion and dreams. Even her elder brother Prakash Jat, helped her pursue a career in sports by providing whatever means he could.
Having established herself at the national level, the next goal for Bhawna is winning a medal at Tokyo Olympics. (IANS)
