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MEDAL WINNERS FROM INDIA

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/25/2021 12:51:38 PM

Krishna Poonia

Krishna Poonia (born 5 May 1977) is an international goldmedalist Indian discus thrower, track-and-field athlete, 2 times Olympics participant, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award recipient, politician from Congress party and the current MLA from Sadulpur constituency in Rajasthan. She participated in 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. In 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, she won a gold medal. Early life Poonia was born on 5 May 1977 in Jat family of Agroha village of Haryana's Hisar district. She was raised by her father and paternal grandmother after her mother died when she was 9 years old. Krishna's physical fitness was honed as a result of working at her family land since the age of 15 and not exactly undergoing rigorous sports training. In 2000, she married Virender Singh Poonia, a former athlete who coached her after their marriage. They had a son in 2001. The couple worked for Indian Railways but in 2013, Poonia resigned and joined the Congress. They live in Jaipur. Poonia obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya in Jaipur. Career Poonia won a bronze medal in 2006 Doha Asian Games. She threw her personal best at 61.53 metres in the second try and finished behind Aimin Sing of China (63.52) and Ma Xuenjun, also of China (62.43). She had won a gold medal in the 46th Open National athletics championships to nose ahead of favourites Seema Antil and Harwant Kaur while registering a career- best at 60.10 metres distance. She contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but failed to reach the finals, after finishing 10th in the qualifiers.