Mangaluru, October 2 (Daily Kiran) : Mangaluru welcomed veteran athlete M R Poovamma with a grand reception upon her return from the 2026 Asian Games, where she secured two medals for India. Poovamma expressed her pride in representing the country but noted a lack of immediate recognition from the Karnataka government following her first medal win.
At the airport, Poovamma shared her achievements, highlighting her gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay alongside teammates Kiran Pehal, Prachi Chaudhary, and Vithya Ramraj. She also earned a silver medal in the mixed 4×400 meters relay. Reflecting on her experiences at the games, Poovamma stated, “I am very proud. This is my sixth Asian Games, and I have won four gold medals. There was immense pressure on us this time as no medals were won in athletics. We had to secure gold after missing out in the previous games. We proved that the ‘Golden Girls’ are back and brought home medals for our country.”
Poovamma expressed hope that the Karnataka government would honor athletes returning with medals. She recalled that she did not receive any calls from officials when she first won, while her teammates were congratulated by the Chief Minister and the Sports Minister. “Initially, I was waiting for a call from the state government. However, I have now received calls from everyone,” she said.
She mentioned that Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and other ministers assured her of support and promised to increase cash rewards for athletes. Poovamma remains optimistic that the government will take meaningful actions to motivate future players. “I have represented Karnataka for 22 years, and I hope Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar will do something for us, allowing us to bring more medals for the country in the future.”
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