Krishna’s gold was the first for India at the Commonwealth Games since Milkha Singh won the 440 yards race in 1958. After Australian world champion Dani Samuels cried off due to health and security fears, the Indian trio of Poonia, Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil were tipped to win at least two of the three medals.
As it happened, defending Commonwealth champion Elizna Naude of South Africa could throw only 57.61 m, and Poonia threw 61.51 in her first attempt. Harwant threw 60.16 in her third attempt, which won her the silver; Antil achieved 58.46 in her second attempt to take bronze — her second Commonwealth Games medal after a silver at Melbourne 2006.
The three women are fierce rivals on the national circuit. Antil and Poonia aren’t the best of friends, especially after the former returned a positive test just after the 2006 Games. Poonia had then taken potshots at Antil, but today, no bad blood showed.
As the packed house brought the roof down, Poonia shouted over the din to tell a reporter that that she was happy that all winners were from India. “And all from Jat families,” she added. And when Poonia couldn’t come up with a great answer when asked if she would have won the gold had Samuels been around, it was Antil who jumped to her defence. “Even if Dani Samuels had participated today, Krishna would have won,” she said.
Krishna’s husband-cum-coach Vijendar Singh was over the moon. “Her family has 200 buffaloes. I am sure all the milk she drank as a kid has made her strong,” he joked.
Yet, there was a time when Poonia almost gave up the sport after getting married and having a baby. It was then that Vijendar, an athlete himself, and his grandfather, a Leftist with strong views on women’s equality, who encouraged her not to give up.
And Poonia returned to the field, training in a tracksuit in Gagarwas village in Churu, Rajasthan, where a women is hardly ever seen without her ghungat. Standing on the victory podium tonight, the girl who first hurled the discus when she was 19 showed the world just how far she had come.
For Antil, it was a night of redemption. She had to miss the 2006 Doha Asian Games after she tested positve. The result was reversed, but she stayed home. Tonight, she became only the second Indian athlete to win a medal at successive Games since triple-jumper Mohinder Singh Gill in the 70s. “I know that Milkha Singh said that no Indian athlete will win a medal at these Commonwealth Games. But it was nice that he got to watch us winning all three medals. Hopefully, he will now give us words of encouragement,” Antil said.
For everyone at the stadium, it did not matter in which order the three women reached the podium. To hear the national anthem playing with Indians occupying all three places was a truly special privilege.
JATS THE WAYBy: andy chhora | Thursday , 11 Nov '10 5:19:30 AMReply | Forwardbasu is suffering from jat-o-phobia..just one jat has expressed her pride and he is all over the place.I wonder how he would react when all the 18 gold,10 silver and 13 bronze jat winners would have publicly expressed the same prideness.Jats have always been the pride of India,be it in sports,army or education..JAI HIND JAI JAT JAI HARYANA
commentsBy: basu | Tuesday , 19 Oct '10 14:17:16 PMReply | ForwardI want to say from all the jat people to do every thing/work only with jats. They should leave in a Jatistan, purchase food and other things only from jats. Sell everything to jats. they should leave India, because India is a democracy country not a Jat country. They married only jats like in these days most of the jats are marrying with their own sisters (of gotra) and born new cattle of brother-sisters children. India does not like this shamelessness in the country so they should leave India and go anywhere there will be only Jats. Jats are not proud of India. They are only spread castism in India and shamelessness lower than a call girl like Mallika Sherawat and Pamela Bordes. Jatnis rocks.
pride and honourBy: arun | Saturday , 30 Oct '10 14:51:17 PMReply | Forwarddon't say anything without proper knowledge. Jats are the only ones fighting against same gotra marriages. And keep in mind that jats form the highest percentage in armed forces, we die for this country while you sit like a coward in your home.We live with pride and we would die than lose our pride......
pride and honourBy: arun | Saturday , 30 Oct '10 14:51:00 PMReply | Forwarddon't say anything without proper knowledge. Jats are the only ones fighting against same gotra marriages. And keep in mind that jats form the highest percentage in armed forces, we die for this country while you sit like a coward in your home.We live with pride and we would die than lose our pride......so shut up and get lost
wrong interpretationBy: sunil | Monday , 18 Oct '10 14:00:11 PMReply | ForwardIt was Poonia who choose to use the word "JAT" and by no means she was wrong in using it.Strangely it has become a taboo to praise your caste to which you belong . These three girls have shown the world that you can achieve all glory even believing in your caste ,region,religion.Praising her caste will not take the glory which these girls have achieved. We Indians are developing not because we put caste ahead of us but other very serious problems like CORRUPTION,POPULATION ILLITERACY,HEALTH STANDARDS etc.so our focus should be on these issues rather than pointing out that someone is castist,racist etc.
What else can she say!By: Diwan Singh | Sunday , 17 Oct '10 9:39:33 AMReply | ForwardJat is culture more than a caste. Almost the entire populace in Haryana,Punjab, Rural Delhi, West U.P. and Eastern Rajasthan show the same kind of traits.Unfortunately, we are divided in five and do not have common name for the entire region.Calling ourselves Haryanvis would restrict to only Haryana and leave the large number of people in other areas out. So, Jats are forced to call themselves by their caste name. Krishna Poonia is now a Rajasthani.She was keen to show the common identity among the medal winners. She had no choice but speak the caste name.
try to understand what Poonia really want to convey the messageBy: Sundeep Antil | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 18:07:29 PMReply | Forwardthe line said by poonia that "All are from JAT families" is wrongly analysed this is not castist headline...she want to convey the message to all the indian peoples that when the girls from the jat community over whom there are so many social and community restriction can creat the history than why not the other community which are more resourceful and have less social restriction can won the medal for the country and make India proud...this is only motivational message to all indian in single line that lets make India proud..we all can do this..players always represent country not the caste..
rockingBy: Mazhar | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 15:46:04 PMReply | ForwardI have very high regards for the Jat community as such many of my good friends and classmates were coming from this caste. The way things are moving I am sure that these Indian girls and boys coming from such gens and healthy food/lifestyle background would make India proud with many more gold medals and going forward even in Olympics. My mind is open, keep rocking.
If caste affiliation can motivate people do to well for india then whats wrong in that?By: Kumar | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 15:41:49 PMReply | ForwardIf caste affiliation can motivate people to do well for our country, then whats wrong in that. Jats take great pride in being hard working farmers, loyal soldiers of the country and able sportsmen. If they take pride in that, then why are other people crying on that? At the end of the day its the country which is benefited. If caste/regional/tribal affiliations can motivate people to do good things for our country, then its not a bad thing.
hmmmBy: satya | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 15:16:19 PMReply | ForwardCan somebuddy tell me how many champions of eradication of Caste choose names of their children from other religions or social groups. Why a tamil doesn't name his kid Mandip Singh; why a Bangali doesn't name his kid Kumaraswami, why?Why a Hindu doesn't choose the name Irfan Khan? Wht stops a person from letting his regional, or religious, or National identity be dissolved into a Universal Naught. When two strangers meet, the second thing they want to know is the place which other belongs to; why? Does this question divide the country? Dear sirs, wht is required is Harmony not eradication of identities. Who will contend that Marwaris are great traders, or that Gorkhas are a bit aggressive. In India, each caste has deeply assimilated particular sort of culture. Who doesn't know abt Bishnoi (In Rajasthan) people's love for Wild life or secular style of Jats? So, b cool..And Jat anyway is not a caste, its more of a life-style.
Jats in Commonwealth gamesBy: Lt Col Anand Pahal | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 12:46:50 PMReply | ForwardIt is incorrect to term this artical racist/ anti national. It indeed induce competition among castes. Their ( Poonia and Antil) caste feelings have motivated them to win medal for the country. I support this artical. Any caste doing well should be praised and motivated after all the medal is for the country and not for their caste... the players should be motivated.. The method of motivation is immaterial
CWG medal to India and not to go any perticular castBy: Mazhar | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 10:34:34 AMReply | ForwardThis is a pity that that natinal glory and big accomplishments of our medal winners has been reduced to castist head line. May I request atlest Indian express to keep itself away from this kind of jurnalism.
PROUD............Keep going jatnis'....By: Richa Singh | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 10:33:56 AMReply | Forwardreading this news gave me a wonderful feeling........proud and honoured.....all d best
jat rocksBy: jaldeep mangawa | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 10:32:48 AMReply | Forwardjat are the proud of india.................jat rocks
Poor piece of ReportingBy: Jayakrishnan | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 10:10:07 AMReply | ForwardCWG is an international game, and Indian athletics winning medals should be given a National sense of Pride.This piece from the outright has a tinge of anti-national sentiments.All Jats night?What is this?Are you saying that you are keeping your eyes open to see which Indian athletes belonging to which caste is being tracked?What next, All Malayalees Night?A tasteless piece of article reeking of caste sentiments.Absolutely poor piece of reporting.
Open your mindBy: Jat Ram | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 13:03:16 PMReply | ForwardMr Majhar ( who posted the first comment above).... I would request you to relook at the tally......more than 50% of medals won by India are actually won by Jats. When Media can malign Jats image for KHAP PANCHAYATs and call them TALIBAANI>...... then why not publish this story with clear names of JATS......... Jats have done wonderful job in CWG 2010. You need to accept it well.
Jat?By: Delta | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 9:53:27 AMReply | ForwardWhat a racist. With people like this India will always be "developing". And why does the paper glorify this?
castism...please dont promote itBy: ajit singh | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 8:55:47 AMReply | Forwardits good ,you informed us that all the three winners were indians,and all of the were JATS.....now please tell us which caste the other winners were..which ethnic groups did they belong....what language they speak.....which religion did the practise....lets do a thorough postmortem.why so less muslims....that means our CHAMARS are not doing well in sports.....today onwards please....please tell us the caste of every medal winner..a patient too should know the caste of his doctor....we should know the caste of the fighter pilot who bombs the enemy....well done indian express...well done indian media.....
Caste so important?By: Ashok B | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 8:46:24 AMReply | ForwardUsing Poonia's 'Jats pride' exclamation in your headline was like reporting on CBSE results with the header "Brahmin boys take top 3 spots in school-leaving examination". Would your readers stand for it?
Why highlight caste?By: Dilip | Tuesday , 12 Oct '10 8:33:10 AMReply | ForwardHighlighting caste ("Jats") in this story's headline was unnecessary and reflects poorly on your newspaper's journalistic and editorial standards. When we are hypersensitive to how foreign commentators and newspapers report on us but use societal stratifications and stereotypes, it smacks of immaturity and double standards.
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