Jaipur – Had Neeta Kumari of Kurukshetra University not been encouraged by her mother and sisters, she would have exchanged her sportsperson’s badge for a wedding ring by now.
Neeta is the second eldest of an athletic family that includes five sisters and a brother, every one of whom has proudly represented Rajasthan in some sporting discipline. Her road to the podium at the 2025 Khelo India University Games, where she snagged a bronze in the heptathlon, has been paved with both tough trials and unwavering resolve.
In third grade, Neeta’s father, Teja Ram – a contractor with the government in Mumbai – lost his life to an electric shock in their native Dhamseen village of Jalore district. The tragedy, which struck in 2013 while her mother, Parwati Devi, was merely 36 and heavily pregnant, forced the family to abandon their livelihood in the city and rebuild everything from scratch back home.
Years later, when her youngest sister Gomti tied the knot at 18, the assumption was that Neeta would soon follow the same path. Yet her mother, noticing Neeta’s growing zeal for track and field, gave her permission to keep chasing her dream – a choice that is now reaping rewards.
The past year had seen Neeta battle multiple injuries that threatened to derail her sporting ambitions, but she returned to form with a bronze medal at the KIUG 2025. Importantly, it was the first national‑level podium finish in her career, and she is eager to ride that momentum forward.
Her foray into athletics began in 2019, but it was only after the COVID‑19 lockdown that she started training seriously in 2022. She first tried her hand at high‑jump and sprint events, but her coach quickly spotted her versatility and redirected her focus toward the heptathlon—a grueling, two‑day affair that combines hurdles, high‑jump, shot put, 200 m, long‑jump, javelin, and 800 m.
This edition marked Neeta’s debut at the Khelo India University Games. She had missed the previous iteration due to a lower back injury, and even the current contest tested her limits with a lingering leg problem, yet the proximity of the venue to her hometown made her determined not to let the opportunity slip away.
Training primarily at Karnal Stadium, she set her sights on a personal best of 4,862 points—a score that would have secured her gold, as Isha Chander Prakash of KIIT topped the championships with 4,857 points, setting a new meet record. Magudeeshwari S of Manonmaniam University rounded out the podium with a silver performance totalling 4,648 points.
“I was attempting my personal best here, but due to the leg injury, it didn’t work out. Had I got that, I could have got the gold, but nevertheless, it was my first medal at the national level. This bronze will motivate me further,” Neeta told SAI Media.
She credits the unwavering support of her family, especially her mother, and her coaches for sustaining her drive.
“Wherever I’m today, it’s all because of the sacrifices of my mother. There was a time when we were on the verge of leaving studies due to financial problems after losing our father. But my mother not only held the family together, she encouraged me to continue my sport.
“Similarly my coaches have always been supportive of me through my ups and downs,” she added.
For an athlete who once feared she might have to abandon everything, that bronze from the KIUG 2025 feels like a glittering promise fulfilled.
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