LUCKNOW/KANPUR: Ten years ago, this UP girl's resolve for victory on tracks was for winning a bag which was on stake. On Saturday, it culminated into a
national record
and a
ticket to Tokyo
for the 2022 Olympics and
World Athletics Championship
in Oregon.
Priyanka Goswami, 25, shattered the national record in the 20-km walk at the 8th open national and 4th international race walking championship in Ranchi on Saturday with a timing of 1:28:45. She broke Bhawna Jat’s record of 1:29.54 set at the same event last year.
This, however, was not a fluke. After joining the Railways in March 2018 through sports quota, Priyanka has won two silver medals at national level in 2017-2018. She also bagged gold in the all-India railway competition (2018) and has participated in World Walk Championship in Italy (Rome) and in Asian Walk Championship Japan.
“I had made up my mind last year when I missed the event by a narrow margin of 36 seconds. It was then that I decided to make it to the international meet this year. Luckily, I got two qualifications (World Cup and
Tokyo Olympic
),” Priyanaka told TOI from Ranchi. Priyanka, who also received Rani Laxmi Bai award from UP government on January 24 this year, said she wished to have her picture clicked with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the felicitation function but could not make it as she was busy in a camp.