On and off the field, a core fighter – At 40, Seema wins an Asian Games medal, inspiring generations

New Delhi: First, the aim was to get admission to an English medium school. Then, it was to secure a job. After that, it was for recognition. Next, it became a path to redemption, and now, it's purely for satisfaction. But at each step, one thing remains constant – challenging the patriarchal society.

The fight with patriarchy began the day she decided to step out of the house to pursue sports, and it still persists even after she has the credit of competing in a dozen major multi-discipline sports events – the Olympics, the Asian Games, and the Commonwealth Games. Whether on or off the field, discus thrower Seema Antil Punia is a fighter at her core. This driving force pushes her to continue with competitive sports even at an age where one can rarely spot an Indian sportsperson, let alone a woman, eyeing international glory.

On Sunday evening, Seema became the oldest Indian women athlete in the current contingent to make it to the podium at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Probably with the bronze in the discus throw, she is the oldest-ever Indian athlete to win a medal in the continental games.

After the Hangzhou Games performance, her profile shows a medal in each of three successive Asian Games (2014 - gold, 2018 - bronze, 2023 - bronze). With this achievement, she became the only Indian discus thrower and shared space with the legendary runner PT Usha as a medalist in three editions of the Asian Games. She is among the three Indian women sportspersons, across various disciplines, who have had the honour of competing in four or more Olympics. Sania Mirza and Shiny Wilson are the other two with four Olympics under their belts. Seema is the sole Indian athlete to have participated in five Commonwealth Games, winning a medal in four of them. Her international career, spanning 23 years, is still ongoing.

“The podium finish in Hangzhou gave me a lot of satisfaction. Due to a calf injury, I missed a medal in my fifth Commonwealth Games, so winning a medal here was even more important to me. I am happy that even at the age of 40, I am able to push my body to leave a mark in the Asian Games,” said the elated Seema. “Apart from adding a medal to my profile, it gives me immense satisfaction that my achievement, at this age, motivates other girls to extend their sporting careers," added multiple Asian Games medallist Seema, who is always ready to extend a helping hand to her junior athletes. Two days before her event,  she was doubling up as a coach for shot putter Kiran Baliyan, whose personal coach couldn’t travel to the Games. Kiran also won bronze.

Seema kicked off her season this year in the nationals at Bhubaneswar with a best throw of 56.50m and then kept on improving her distance with each competition. She achieved the Asian Games qualifying mark in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with a throw of 57.73m. Before going for the Asian Games, she won the Indian Grand Prix with a throw of 57.96m. At Hangzhou, she won bronze with her season-best throw of 58.62m.

"I was confident of winning a medal here. After the second attempt, I was placed fourth, but my third attempt of 58.62m put me in the medal bracket, and eventually, I finished third. Each of my medals in the international arena is a testimony to the hardships I have overcome and the patriarchy I have encountered throughout my three-decade-long sports career. My first competitive event was the Haryana School State in 1993, and now, after winning a medal in Hangzhou, I can tell you that these Asian Games are not my last event," said Seema, who has to be very careful about her diet because, over the years, she has developed an allergy to gluten. "Because of my age, I have to be extra cautious in taking care of my body. Even the slightest bit of carelessness on the diet front, like consuming gluten-based food, gives me rashes and, at times, causes swelling in my body. These medals come at a cost, and I am even ready to endure the consequences on my body for these unforgettable podium finishes."

The Beginning 

Hailing from a conservative society, Seema had to challenge the patriarchy to become a world-class athlete, and the fight with patriarchal society started from the beginning.

Seema’s childhood dream was to study in an English Medium School, and she discovered that sports could be the best route to get admission in the boarding school.

"I started going to the stadium with a simple reason: to enrol in the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) scheme. For me, enrollment means that I would get a free diet and kit, and above all, a chance to cherish my childhood dream of studying in an English Medium school. I even cleared the SAI’s physical test and was picked for their residential scheme located at the Chandigarh-based English Medium School, Shivalik Public School. But my dreams crashed when my elder sister and father objected to the idea of the family's girl going to a distant city and staying all alone. For them, living in Chandigarh all alone would give me independence, and I might take advantage of it, and then the family's honour would be at stake," recalled Seema. "The society we come from, the honour of the family comes first, and dreams of a daughter come last. I still remember when I started the sport, the first instruction that I got from my elder brother was that I should head straight to the stadium from our house and return immediately as soon as the training was over, and if they heard anything that went against our social customs, they would not think twice before taking any drastic step."

Seema hails from the village of Khewda in the Sonipat district of Haryana and is married in Meerut, a district in western Uttar Pradesh.

Both Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are agrarian regions and share many similarities in customs and social norms, with patriarchy prevailing in the region.

Seema, like millions of women in the region, is very well aware of the social boundaries. Family pride, community honour, and strict social norms form the bedrock of the common person's life, especially for women.

The born athlete 

Seema is a born athlete, and her tall height and sturdy build give her an edge over others. In 1994, she became Haryana’s best athlete in the juniors' category, winning medals in long jump, high jump, discus, and shot put. In the very next year, she made it to the podium in the school nationals.

Initially, Seema used to practice all athletic events. However, it was in 1998 when a discus thrower named Pawan Sangawn, who was working in the Indian Railways, spotted her and advised her to concentrate on discus.

"I used to watch Pawan bhai sahab throwing the discus, and one day I asked him about the event, referring to the discus as a plate. He smiled at the discus being called a plate and then explained the event to me. He advised me that, given my height and build, I should try my hand at the event. Thankfully, I took his advice, and from that day until now, discus has become an integral part of my life," said Seema, who is 6' 1" tall. "In my very first attempt, I threw 25m, which is a commendable mark for a beginner at the junior level. In 1999, I competed in my first nationals in the senior category held in Lucknow. With a throw of 47m, I secured the eighth position. At that time, Lalit Bhanot, the secretary of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), noticed my height and asked if I wanted to join the national camp. I promptly said yes, and as they say, the rest is history."

A job offer - going against the family's wish 

In January 2000, Seema got an offer of a job as a Havildar in CRPF. But this time she was not ready to succumb to the family pressure. She joined the job going against the wishes of her parents. “My father was against joining the job of Havildar. He gave me a reason for how a landlord’s daughter could do the job of constable, and I was not ready to buy the argument. Because in reality, the job would give me financial independence, and looking into my aggression, my family thought that once I got financial freedom, I would start defying them at each step. But my seniors told me that the job is good for my sporting career, so I went against my family’s wishes and joined the department without telling them,” said Seema.

“The sports quota job changed my perspective towards sports, and it contributed immensely to my foundation for becoming an Olympian. I made it to my first quadrennial games in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Had I not gone against my family’s wish then, I might not have been able to come so far in sports.”

After winning a bronze in the junior world championship in 2002, her first significant breakthrough at the international level in the senior category came during the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The tough times 

"From 2007 until the beginning of 2010, I experienced a rough patch, and there were numerous occasions when I contemplated quitting the sport. However, a medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games changed everything and has kept me going until now," said Seema, who is a Sub-inspector with the Haryana Police.

Aside from the challenges she faced on the social front and in the sports field, Seema is also battling in the Haryana and Punjab High Court for her unpaid dues.

In the Hangzhou Asian Games, Seema is the sole sportsperson from the Haryana Police Department who has won a medal.

She is the only one from the state police who was recruited under the sports quota and has been representing the country at the international level since joining to this day.

However, when it comes to the Haryana government, she has consistently been on the receiving end.

The players with fewer achievements have been recruited directly as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police force, and even the players who were recruited along with her have been promoted to Inspectors and DSP through the normal course, while Seema is still a Sub-Inspector and is currently fighting a case at the Punjab and Haryana High Court for her dues.

In 2008, the Haryana Government announced job openings for Sub-Inspectors in the state police force under the sports quota. Despite having the highest sports achievements among all the applicants, Seema was not selected for the job.

At that time, she was the only applicant who was an Olympian and a Commonwealth Games medallist (participating in the 2004 Athens Olympics and winning silver in the 2006 CWG).

After being overlooked for the sports quota job, Seema had no other option but to approach the High Court.

Eventually, the court had to intervene to secure her due, and in March 2010, she was appointed as a Sub-Inspector in the Haryana Police under the sports quota against the 2008 job openings.

"I achieved my best performances on the international stage from 2010 onwards. Before 2010, I had only one Olympics and one Commonwealth Games medal. From 2010 to the present day, I have competed in three Olympics, four Commonwealth Games, winning medals in three editions, and three Asian Games, winning medals in each of them. From my late twenties to the beginning of my forties, I have competed in 10 major multi-discipline sports events. So, age is just a number, and many girls approach me not only because of my podium finishes but also because I am winning medals at this age," said Seema.

"If I can contribute to extending the sporting careers of young girls, then that is my most significant contribution to Indian sports. As a woman, I can well understand that almost every woman, especially those from rural backgrounds, has to fight both on the social front and on the field," added Seema "Hope that podium finishes by girls on the international stage might change society's social mindset towards them and lead to gender equality both on and off the field."