New Delhi: The pause and lump in the throat is hard to miss as Seema Kaliramna talks about staying away from her four-year-old son, Rudra, while she chases her Asian Games dream.
The 27-year-old discus thrower returned with a bronze medal from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but there was little time to celebrate her first major championship medal with the Asian Games looming. She went home to Bhiwani, Haryana for an overnight stay, attended a felicitation function at her University and was back at the national camp in Patiala the next day.
Seema is being coached by her husband Ravinder Kaliramna, a former national-level thrower. That means the couple cannot spend much time with their son, who is looked after alternately by both sets of grandparents. Her happiest moments in Patiala came when she managed to spend a few days with Rudra. It is the kind of sacrifice she has made over the last four years to compete at the elite level.
“It is very difficult for me because my son is not with me. I cannot bring him along because then I have to constantly watch over him and my training will suffer. He was here with me for five or six days and then I sent him home because I want to focus on the Asian Games,” Seema told HT during an interaction facilitated by SAI.
“There are times when he tells me, ‘I want to be with you,’ so that’s the toughest part. It is quite emotional. It makes me think, ‘Am I taking away part of his childhood from him?’ Had he been with me, it would have been a different experience,” says Seema with a pause before gathering herself.
“Then I remind myself that whatever is happening right now, it will be good for both of us in the future.
“My son comes for a day or two, but I don’t remember the last time I went home and shared a meal with my family completely relaxed. It must have been three to four years. This time, after the CWG, it was a quick visit home, and I was back in Patiala for training,” she says.
Seema’s career hasn’t exactly run smooth. After her son was born, her comeback looked unlikely. She developed arthritis, and at one point even walking a few steps was difficult. Her husband’s constant encouragement helped spark her return to the field. After missing two seasons, she returned to the sport in 2024, gradually picking up from where she had left off in 2021.
“As an athlete you have to make sacrifices. My journey is different because I am also a mother. But it is inspiring when my son tells me, ‘You have to win a medal for the country.’ Ek junoon le ke aata hai (It brings that passion to achieve).”
Seema is also pursuing a PhD in physical education from Chaudhary Bansi Lal University. On rest days, she takes out time to focus on her course. “It could not have been possible without the support of my family members. My husband is my coach. My son is with my parents, and then he will go to my husband’s parents.”
For Seema, a prized possession from Glasgow was the memento Rudra had asked her to bring home. “When I came home, he knew that his mummy had won a big medal. He also came to Delhi for the reception. The Commonwealth Games medal has brought a lot of happiness to me and my family.”
The Glasgow medal has helped revive India’s legacy in women’s discus throw. At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, Krishna Poonia, Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil swept the podium. Seema Antil went on to win four CWG and three Asian Games medals. In 2022, however, India had no women’s discus medal in CWG.
“I don’t know why we got a little behind in throwing. But now it has improved both in boys and girls. There are so many entries in national championships. Girls are throwing in the range of 55-56m. In the CWG, two of us (Nidhi Rani) participated and at the Asian Games too, we will be there,” says Seema.
