Varanasi :
A nondescript one-room brick house, with an asbestos shade on the front verandah in Dandupur village, about 5 kms from the district headquarters on Varanasi-Sindhora Road, waits for its proud daughter Punam Yadav, the winner of weightlifting bronze at Commonwealth Games at Glasgow.
“It is a matter of pride for us and the entire nation that a rural girl had won a medal. We will celebrate the victory when Punam comes home,” said her mother Urmila Devi, a homemaker who has four other daughters and two sons. Punam’s father Kailash Yadav, a farmer, on Thursday left for Swami Adgadanad Ashram at Shakteshgarh in Mirzapur district to solicit seer’s blessings for his daughter.
“It is ashram seer’s blessings that gave strength to Punam to win the medal,” said her mother, who was quite excited while sharing her feelings on the success of the 19-year-old.
Punam lifted a total of 202 kgs in the final of women’s 63 kgs class at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She is also a bronze winner in the Asian Juniors.
The condition of their house is a testimony of financial constraints the family has been facing over years in backing their three weightlifting daughters. The family has a small piece of land and a couple of cattle to meet all the requirements. Punam, the fourth daughter, is performing at international level, her elder sister Shashi Yadav and younger sister Puja Yadav are national level weightlifters. Her two elder sisters Kiran and Shashilata have been married.
“The family got financial support from well-wishers particularly from an uncle of Punam to fulfil her dreams,” said Saheb Singh Yadav, her sister-in-law. It was her dedication and hard work that won her a medal, he said.
Her brothers Ashutosh and Abhishek, both high school students, were happy over the success of their sister.
The members of Saptsagar Yadav Maha Sabha too were delighted over Punam’s success. “We feel proud that a daughter of Kashi had won medal for the country,” said Pramod Yadav, president of the organization.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav recently announced to honour and give cash awards to all the medal winners of the state in the ongoing Commonwealth Games at Glasgow.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / August 02nd, 2014