MR Poovamma, 36, won the women’s 4x400m relay gold at the Asian Games on Tuesday night. While many questioned her career, she stayed focused on fitness. “Age for me is just a number,” she said. Now, she has the LA Olympics and 2030 Games in her sights for the future.
M.R. Poovamma (Image: IANS)
TimesofIndia in Nagoya: Looking back at the golden quartet of the women’s 4x400m relay from the 2014 Asian Games, time has taken each of them in a different direction. Tintu Luka is now a mother and works as a sports officer with the Indian Railways. Mandeep Kaur too has embraced motherhood and serves in the Punjab Police. Little is known about Priyanka Pawar, who was handed an eight-year doping ban in 2016. And then there is a debutant from that Games, MR Poovamma. While her teammates from that gold-winning quartet moved away from the track, Poovamma chose to stay. Many laughed, some questioned why she was still running, while others said she would not last. She answered them not with words, but with performances. On Tuesday night, the 36-year-old stood on the podium again, this time as part of the Indian quartet that won the women’s 4x400m relay gold. At an age when most Indian athletes would have moved on from elite competition, Poovamma was one of India’s oldest on the track at these Games. But she insists age has little bearing on what an athlete can achieve. “Age for me is just a number,” Poovamma told TOI. “It is sad that in India, even today, there is so much talk about an athlete’s age. The only thing that should be factored in is fitness and performance. That’s the measure in most of the other countries.” Her latest medal haul, the gold and silver in the mixed 4x400m relay, took her Asian Games tally to six. So, is this the end? “I have nothing left to prove. But why should I give up when I’m performing well?” The answer came quickly. “I have the LA Olympics and the 2030 Asian Games on my mind, which I may go to with my future child,” she laughed. “I’m in good form and retirement is not on my mind,” she asserted. Poovamma ran a season’s best 52.76 seconds at the Indian Athletics Final Series earlier this month and believes the secret to her longevity lies in discipline and fitness. “I’ve always believed that it is important to be physically and mentally fit. With that, you also need to stay motivated,” she said. “I led a very disciplined lifestyle thanks to the support of my family, especially my husband Jithin Paul and my mother, who ensure I don’t have to worry about household chores and can stay focused on my training,” added Poovamma, who has also represented India at the 2016 and 2024 Olympics.
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There has been frustration too. Poovamma rued the lack of support from her state government, but said that is not enough to make her walk away. “Me competing even after all these years, and with nothing left to prove, should be an inspiration to youngsters,” she said.