Seema Punia questions Kamalpreet Kaur’s national record effort, seeks hyperandrogenism test


Seema Punia questions Kamalpreet Kaur’s national record effort, seeks hyperandrogenism test

Seema Punia and Kamalpreet Kaur

On the very day she bagged the Tokyo Olympics qualification, Seema Punia has come forward to raise questions on her fellow Olympic qualifier Kamalpreet Kaur‘s national record effort. Only 10 days ago, Kamalpreet managed the impossible as she threw the disc to a distance of 66.59m, a national record. Seema raised concerns about the genuineness of the Punjab athlete’s efforts.

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Kamalpreet Kaur broke her own national record during the Indian Grand Prix 4 in Patiala. Kaur registered a discus throw of 66.59m in her fifth attempt to better the national standing. She rewrote her national record of 65.06m, which she had set at Federation Cup in March 2021. Kamalpreet’s effort of 66.59m is the sixth-best in the world this season.

“Sheer power cannot help a woman thrower go that distance,” Seema Punia on Kamalpreet Kaur’s national record effort

Kamalpreet Kaur
Kamalpreet Kaur

Seema Punia asserts that it is not possible for individuals to throw the distance with just sheer power. She adds that she had doubts after watching the clips of Kamalpreet Kaur’s throw in her letter to the federation. She demanded a hyperandrogenism test on Kamalpreet.

When she threw 65m (at the Federation Cup) I was the first to congratulate and appreciate her here. But when she crossed 66m and I saw the footage, I had my doubts. Beyond a point, sheer power cannot help a woman thrower go that distance. It requires technique, fitness, agility, a lot of other things, none of which she has,” Seema said.

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I have been around for more than 20 years. It won’t affect me. But think of the younger girls coming up, how can they compete in such an unfair field? Maybe I am wrong and I would love to be proven wrong. But there are doubts, not just from me but many others, and I think the federation should look into it,” she added.

Hyperandrogenism is a condition that causes higher testosterone levels than expected in biological females. It is considered an advantage for affected athletes over the non-affected ones. “All complaints are looked into by the Grievance Committee. The Committee will look into it,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla told PTI when asked about Punia’s letter.

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