Seema Punia targets grand finale at Paris 2024 Olympics

Seema Punia, the accomplished discus thrower, recently clinched a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This achievement adds to her illustrious career, spanning 21 years since her first international medal in 2002 when she won a bronze at the World Junior Championships in Kingston.

Despite reaching the age of 40, Seema Punia is determined to make her mark at the Paris Olympics next year. She expressed her confidence in securing a spot based on her world ranking and would be making her fifth Olympic appearance.

Notable achievements

Seema's best Olympic performance was at the 2012 London Games, where she achieved a throw of 61.91 meters. Her personal best came in 2021 during the National Senior Inter State Athletics Championships with a throw of 63.72 meters.

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In Hangzhou, Seema Punia added another medal to her impressive collection, securing a bronze. This marked her third medal at the Asian Games, with previous wins of gold in Incheon 2014 and bronze in Jakarta 2018.

Looking forward, not backward

Seema Punia's philosophy revolves around always looking ahead for improvement. She doesn't dwell on her past achievements and mentioned that her recent bronze medal from the Asian Games remains in her bag until she returns home to Meerut.

Seema aspires to start an academy for girls in Meerut as a way to give back to the sport that has given her so much. Her successful journey began when she was selected for the national camp by Lalit Bhanot, and she has received support from the Athletics Federation of India and the central government.

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In addition to her sporting achievements, Seema Punia is an inspector with Haryana Police. While she awaits a promotion, she expressed her interest in working in Uttar Pradesh and applying for jobs there if the opportunity arises.