Khelo India University Games: Chandigarh University’s Bhumi Gupta makes strong comeback from long injury with three swimming medals
Bhumi Gupta won gold in the 200m individual medley, bronze in the 100m freestyle and silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Guwahati: Swimmer Bhumi Gupta suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury during the Khelo India Youth Games (KIUG) in Madhya Pradesh last year and required surgery, keeping her out of action for almost nine months. The 18-year-old is making a comeback and is still far from her best in terms of physical condition. But the Chattisgarh swimmer, who represented Chandigarh University, announced her return with a gold, silver and bronze medal on the final day of the swimming competition at the Khelo India University Games at the Dr. Zakir Hussain Aquatics Complex here late Thursday.
Bhumi, a trainee from the Khelo India Glenmark Center in New Delhi, won gold in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2 minutes 32.43 seconds before returning to take bronze in the 100m freestyle and silver in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
“The period after my injury was very difficult for me emotionally. But I did not lose hope and came back after a nine-month break to train at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Complex (under coach Parth Pratim Majumder) and decided that I would concentrate on winning medals at the Khelo India University Games ” said Bhumi. , who started swimming when she was in the third division under former junior international Jagdish Banik in her hometown Bilaspur.
To be eligible to participate in the Khelo India University Games, Bhumi first had to impress in the All-India University swimming competition, which served as a qualifying event for the fourth edition of the Games to be played in the Northeast.
“I managed to win medals in the All India University competition and was determined to give my best here,” she added. “I came to Guwahati to test my progress since returning from the injury and to prove to myself that I can still aim for bigger goals,” said Bhumi, whose father Ajay gave her all the moral support with his physical presence.
Bhumi has now set her eyes on the Senior National Championships to be held in July this year and says winning medals would be another stepping stone towards her dream of representing India in major international competitions.