"I didn't let any of the hurdles stop me. That's why I am here doing what I love"

I started from a small town in Sivasagar district in Assam, India and managed to break records to set precedents for other women athlete in India at that time.

When I first started playing sports, I was drawn by the rewards the other girls in my town would get during Independence day and Republic day celebrations. I would eye those packets of chocolates and to acquire them, I'd participate in athletic events whether they were 100m or 200m races. That's how I found my passion for sports.

I started with barely anything. After having experienced the loss of my parents at a young age, I was naturally feeling despair. We didn't have solid earnings and I had to look after my siblings too. Somedays we'd struggle to put food on the table.

No matter the difficulties, I would participate in festival expos and bag medals. Then I had the opportunity to participate in the All India Assam Meet. However, due to lack of resources like shoes and appropriate clothes, I couldn't participate in the races. Then I asked the General Secretary to put my name in Discuss throw. I was hoping I might win something there. I did go on to receive a bronze medal. Even so, I wasn't satisfied with that and wanted the gold medal. So, I started working harder and eventually went on to break a 12 year old national record in discus throw in the year 1974. I felt proud to be the first woman athlete from Assam to do something of this scale.

I think all children, especially young girls, should be encouraged and given equal opportunities to showcase their potential. So many women in sports do so well and it's inspiring to see them making it big after coming from humble backgrounds. I want to see more women and young girls participating in sports and representing the country.

Follow this thread to learn more about my journey.