New Delhi, July 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Swapna Barman, India’s first heptathlete to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, announced her retirement from athletics on Friday, citing a prolonged battle with injuries and her body’s inability to continue at the highest level.
The 29-year-old Arjuna Award recipient created history at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta by winning the heptathlon gold medal, becoming the first Indian athlete to achieve the feat. She competed in the event despite dealing with a jaw injury.
Announcing her decision on Instagram, Barman described retirement as one of the toughest choices of her life, saying athletics had been much more than a sport for her.
She said the journey had shaped her identity and was filled with sacrifices, challenges, emotional moments and unforgettable memories. Barman added that recurring injuries, including a slipped disc and knee problems, had made it increasingly difficult to continue competing.
She said she had fought through pain for years but had accepted that her body was no longer supporting her in the way it once did.
Despite repeated setbacks, Barman continued to achieve success after her historic Asian Games triumph. She won silver medals at the 2019 and 2023 Asian Championships and also secured a silver medal in pentathlon at the 2023 Asian Indoor Championships.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, she narrowly missed a podium finish, ending the competition in fourth place, just four points behind fellow Indian athlete Nandini Agasara, who won the bronze medal.
Barman first emerged as a major name in Indian athletics in 2017 when she won the heptathlon gold at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Her final competitive appearance came at the 2025 National Open Athletics Championships in Bengaluru, where she finished third.
Reflecting on her career, Barman said leaving athletics was difficult because of her continued love for competition, but she remained grateful for the journey and the support she received throughout her career.
She said winning an Asian Games gold medal and receiving the Arjuna Award were honours she would always carry with pride.
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