Pincky Balhara Lost Three Family Members, Yet Made Sure That She Wins Win Medal For India

If martial arts sport like kurash is able to improve its presence in India, it should thank a girl from Delhi. Pincky Balhara, the 19-year-old from Neb Sarai in Delhi, lost three of her family members, including her father, in the space of three months just before the Games, but that did not stop her from giving her best while winning a silver in the 52-kg event of the competition here.

The medal, along with the bronze won by Malaprabha Yallappa Jadhav here, is expected to give a boost to the game in India where it¡¯s in a nascent stage.

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¡°That was the worst phase of my life. I lost my cousin brother first, then my father to a heart attack and then my grandfather a month later. It happened just so quickly,¡± Balhara said. ¡°My father passed away a few days after I had made it to the Asian Games team. He was so happy about my selection,¡± she added.

Pincky, who started her career as a judoka before switching to kurash for the Games due to the similarities between the two disciplines, said it was very difficult for her to come out of that phase, but her maternal uncle Samundar Tokas, a judoka, pushed her to chase her dream.

¡°When my father died, the senior nationals for judo were to be held 10 days later. I told my uncle that I did not want to participate. He told me, ¡®Your father wanted to do well. Now that he¡¯s not there, you want to give up?¡¯ I had to go as my father had supported me a lot.¡±

After her father¡¯s last rites, Pincky, a student of Gargi College, got only five days to prepare for the nationals.

¡°I had to go to the gym to lose weight from 58 kg for my 52-kg event and I had to go there in night. I was apprehensive that people would see me in morning and taunt me for going to gym immediately after my father¡¯s death.¡±

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Pincky did manage to get a bronze at the senior nationals. A few days later she took part in the junior nationals in judo and bagged a gold.

¡°When I was playing junior nationals, my grandfather died. My team got the news, but they did not tell me. I went on to win the gold and was adjudged the best player. Next day, we had the junior Asian trial and I made it to the team with a gold. I got the news of the death after reaching home.¡±

An emotional Pincky recalled how her father had promised to accompany her to Jakarta for the Asian Games.

¡°He said that he would accompany me to the Games. I had never allowed my parents to come to my practice, as it used to make me nervous. But I would have been happy to have him here,¡± she said.

¡°Before the Games, one day he asked me to give him a glass of water but I did not. He told me, ¡®You don¡¯t listen to your father. You will not get gold. You will get silver in Asiad¡¯. I remembered his words when I finished with the silver,¡± she said, eyes filling up with tears.