Kamalpreet Kaur (Discus Throw) Age, Height, Weight, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Kamalpreet Kaur

• Kamalpreet Kaur is an Indian discus thrower who represents India at various national and international competitions.

• She did not have an interest in studies while she was in school. During an interview, while talking about her school days, she said,
  

  During the class VIII exams, I just managed 33 marks each in Maths and English. There was a slight improvement in the class X boards, but I realised that I was not going anywhere with my studies. I knew that if things continued like this I would not get a job. This was also the time when I had taken part in a sports event and did well. People liked my height and built and suggested that I give sports a try.”

• She was interested in sports since her school days and wanted to become a professional cricketer, but her sports teacher in school asked her to participate in athletics. She then participated in various athletic activities like shot put and discus throw and won many prizes.

• Initially, she was a little hesitant to pursue her career in sports as in her village it was believed that girls should do the household work only. At that time, her mother was also unhappy with her decision to live in a hostel, but her father supported her throughout.

• Initially, she started with shot put but then shifted her focus to the discus throw.

• She then moved to a hostel outside her village and started her professional training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in her village.

• With her hard work and training, she became the U-18 and U-20 national champion in discus throw in 2016.

• She participated in the World University Games held in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2017 and stood 5th in it.
  

  Kamalpreet Kaur in a discus throw event

• She then appeared for the clerical exam of the Indian Railways and cleared the exam. It was a great relief for her to get a regular salary from her job as her family’s financial condition was not good. In an interview, while talking about it she said,
  

  At times the Punjab government would offer a cash prize after I won medals at the national level. But there was no regular support. You know even my shoes cost Rs 10,000. In 2017, I got a job as a clerk in Railways. The salary was just Rs 21,000, but it came every month, and that was a huge support.”

• Kaur was rejected from the qualifying round at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018. She took it positively and in 2019 won a gold medal in the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships. In an interview, she talked about the championship. She said,
  

  It was my strategy to go all out in the first throw itself and it worked for me. I cannot convey in words how happy I am feeling now. I couldn’t sleep for the last three nights because of the nervous excitement. Another change came when I got access to protein supplements to enhance performance. I would buy a cheap one as I could not have kept asking my father for more money.”

  

  Kamalpreet Kaur on winning a gold medal at the National Athletic Championships

• In 2019, she started getting support from the ‘GoSports Foundation.’ During an interview, she shared how her life changed after getting support from the foundation. She said,
  

  Things got better when GoSports Foundation started supporting me in 2019. They provided me with a nutritionist who gave me a monthly chart of what to eat and what not to eat. They were keeping a tab on how many calories were being spent during training and what I should be eating to compensate for that loss. My diet became more balanced. They also helped me with equipment support like shoes. I just have to send them the bill and they will reimburse that into my account.”

• After a record-making performance in 2020 at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Patiala, she secured her position in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which was held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview, while talking about participating in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, she said,
  

  My aim was to throw 63m if the qualification mark was set at 62. When I learned that the Olympic qualification mark has been increased to 63.50m, my aim changed to go beyond 65m. I didn’t want anything below that. All-day, from when woke up till the time I went to bed, there was only one thing on my mind – 65m.”

• During an interview, she shared how she trained for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. She said,
  

  I used the double bed at home as weights. The bed is filled with clothes so I used it for my deadlift exercises. I used the flower pots at home as dumbbells. I did all the exercises I could at home and ran in the fields.”

• Her co-discus thrower alleged her of doping as Kaur’s performance was improving tremendously. During an interview, Kaur shared that she faced huge mental disturbance due to such allegations in 2021.

• In the Tokyo Olympics 2020, she stood sixth in the finale with her best score of 63.70m.

• In an interview, Kaur’s father shared that he could not watch the Tokyo Olympics 2020 finals qualifying match of his daughter as he had to work in the fields.

• During an interview, while sharing a message to the young Indian girls, Kaur said,
  

  Girls should be given the freedom to pursue their dreams and realise their potential. There is no dearth of talent in our country. Girls, especially from rural areas have abundant talent, they should be motivated to do well. In my village, one girl’s mistake affects the life of 100 other girls. All other girls will be given the example that that one particular girl did that wrong. I feel now that I’ve done something, I’ll be a good example for girls. I feel this change will come. I get calls from parents asking me to guide their daughters so they can have bright futures and earn a name for themselves.”

• Kamalpreet has been honoured by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and received a cheque of Rs. 2 lakhs and a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) by the SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur in Amritsar in 2021. ^[10]The Bridge

• Kaur’s idol is Krishna Punia, the famous Indian discus thrower.