Swapna Barman

Swapna Barman (born 29 October 1996) is an Indian heptathlete. She won the gold medal at 2018 Asian Games and placed first in the Heptathlon at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships.[2] In August 2019, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award.[3]

Swapna Barman

Barman Of India
Personal information
Born	29 October 1996[1] Ghoshpara, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Heptathlon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	6026 points (Jakarta 2018)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  India Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Heptathlon Asian Championships 2017 Bhubaneswar Heptathlon 2019 Doha Heptathlon Federation cup 2017 New Delhi Heptathlon
Updated on 27 April 2019.

Life

Barman was born in Ghospara village near Jalpaiguri, West Bengal in 1996 in a poor Rajbongshi family.[4] She is unusual in having six toes on each foot.[5] Her mother Basana worked on a tea estate and her father, Panchanan Barman, was a rickshaw driver. and is bed-ridden after having suffered a stroke in 2013, making life tricky for his four children. She found it difficult to find the right food[2] and her unusual feet caused her pain because she could not afford extra wide running shoes.[5] Swapna uses her prize money to look after her family who live in a house without a concrete wall.[6] In 2016 she won a scholarship of 150,000 rupees in recognition of the success she had at athletics.[5] She trains at the Sports Authority of India campus at Kolkata.

In 2016, she was supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme.[5]

Barman won the gold at 2018 Asian Games, she accomplished this despite a jaw injury.[7] Barman collapsed during the final event of the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's heptathlon[2] which was the 800 metres. However Barman had broken many of her personal records[1] and she had already gained enough points from the previous six events and she had finished fourth in the 800 metres.[2]

In 2020 she lost out on a funding list but said that she would continue to train at her home in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.[8]

Achievements

2017 Asian Athletics championships

Year	Venue	Event	Points	Result
2017	Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar	Heptathlon	5942	Gold

Patiala Federation cup

Year	Venue	Event	Points	Result
2017	JLN Stadium, New Delhi	Heptathlon	5897	Gold
2019	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha	Heptathlon	5993	Silver

Asian Games

Year	Venue	Event	Points	Result
2014	Incheon Asiad Main Stadium	Heptathlon	5178	5th place
2018	Gelora Bung Karno Stadium	Heptathlon	6026	Gold

Rewards for winning the Gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games

• ₹10 lakh (US$14,000) from the Government of West Bengal.[9]

References

1. "IAAF: Swapna Barman | Profile". iaaf.org. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
2. "Could never afford nutritious food required by athlete, Asian gold-medallist Swapna Barman's father". The Indian Express. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
3. "Dream come true, says heptathlete Swapna Barman on being choosen for Arjuna Award". Yahoo! News. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
4. Aishik Chnada (31 August 2018). "Mother and coach behind Swapna Barman's gold in Asian games". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
5. "Swapna Barman Receives GSI Sports Scholarship - Company CSR | Largest CSR News Network - Social Responsibilities Give Better World". Company CSR | Largest CSR News Network. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
6. Sarkar, Sujata (24 August 2017). "Swapna Barman on comeback wins gold, pledges for a job to run her ailing family". Oneindia. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
7. "Swapna Barman realises the dream of hometown Denguajhar". Sportstarlive. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
8. Cyriac, Biju Babu (14 August 2020). "Swapna Barman: Dope-tainted athlete in TOPS development list, but no place for Asian Games gold medallist Swapna Barman". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
9. PTI (30 August 2018). "West Bengal government announces cash award of Rs 10 lakh for Swapna Barman". Sportstar. Kolkata. Retrieved 30 April 2019.