If there was one clear surprise from India’s campaign at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, it was the lawn bowls team’s performance, which included a rare gold medal in the women’s four event and a silver medal in the men’s four event.
However, in the aftermath of the women’s fours team’s victory, which included Rupa Rani Tirkey, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia, and Lovely Choubey, the reality and struggle that went into winning the gold medal has struck as the women have opened up about what they had to go through to even reach that stage.
Rupa Rani Tirkey mentioned on ‘Table Talk with Jo’ how much struggle and harassment they had to endure.
Lovely Choubey looks disappointed in the video
We are celebrating these women for winning gold in Lawn Fours at C’wealth Games. But we should be filled with shame. On ‘Table Talk’ they share a journey of official apathy, disrespect and misogyny. Watch & share. @ianuragthakur
Watch full episode here https://t.co/QOxIGKycue pic.twitter.com/1FulQH01BD
— jyotsna mohan (@jyotsnamohan) August 18, 2022
We were extremely depressed. There was a lot of talk about us. It was very demotivating,” Lovely Choubey says in the video, breaking down in tears as she describes the sacrifices they had to make to win the elusive gold medal by defeating powerhouse South Africa in the final.
Lovely Choubey won Gold in Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham
We were under a lot of stress. If we hadn’t returned from the Games with a medal, there might not have been a future for lawn bowls in the next edition,” Lovely Choubey added.
Not only that, but the quadruple team had to endure a slew of misogynistic remarks.
We were even told that we were chosen for the team based on how we looked,” Lovely said on the show, unable to hold back her tears.
“We had something in us, that’s why we won a medal, don’t you think?” Nobody will award us a medal just by looking at us,” she wondered.
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