Lives up to her nickname ‘Udanpari’ with stunning performance in 25,000-metre race
Subhash Mahajan
Chamba: Seema, the celebrated “Golden Girl” from Reta village in Chamba district, has once again brought laurels to Himachal Pradesh by clinching a gold medal and setting a new national record at a world-level athletics event organised by Tata Steel in Kolkata.
Living up to her nickname “Udanpari”, Seema delivered a stunning performance in the 25,000-metre race, clocking 1 hour, 26 minutes and 04 seconds to not only secure the top podium finish but also establish a new national record in the event. Her remarkable feat has put Chamba and Himachal Pradesh firmly on the global athletics map once again.
For her record-breaking run, Seema was awarded a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, along with an additional Rs 1 lakh bonus for creating the record, taking her total reward to Rs 4 lakh.
Speaking after her victory, Seema attributed her success to the unwavering support of her family and coach. She also thanked official pacer Anish Chandel of Bilaspur, whose guidance and pacing, she said, played a crucial role in helping her achieve the record timing.
Meanwhile, Chamba zila parishad member Manoj Kumar Manu congratulated Seema on her historic achievement and called upon Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to give equal importance and recognition to sports other than cricket. He said that athletes from disciplines like athletics should be honoured in the same manner as cricketers, as consistent recognition inspires young sportspersons to excel.
Manu also urged the state government to release Seema’s pending rewards amounting to around Rs 35 lakh, which, he said, had been awaiting clearance in Shimla. He said timely honours and incentives for winning athletes would go a long way in motivating emerging talent across the state.
