In a shocking revelation, the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist in heptathlon, Swapna Barman has alleged that this year’s bronze medallist Nandini Agasara is transgender and should be ineligible for competing. In an all-out attack on her young compatriot, Barman took to social media to make the allegations. It is noteworthy that she lost the bronze medal to Nandini by a very close margin of four points.
Swapna Barman had 5708 points at the end of the competition, while Nandini Agasara pipped her with 5712 points. In her post, Barman wrote, “I have lost my Asian Games bronze medal to a transgender woman at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. I want my medal back as it is against the rules of our Athletics. Help me and support me please.”
However, after facing a huge backlash on social media, the athlete immediately removed the post.
Meanwhile, China’s Ninali Zheng won the gold medal in the event with a total of 6149 points. Uzbekistan’s Ekaterina Voronina got the silver medal with 6056 points.
Swapna Barman Boiling with Rage
Talking exclusively to The Bridge, Swapna claimed she would ‘expose everyone’ after losing the bronze medal. “If I do not get this medal which I deserve I shall expose everyone. Everyone can see the injustice that I am being subjected to. Transgender athletes, who have testosterone levels above 2.5, cannot compete in events over 200m. No girl can come up in a heptathlon so fast. I have trained for 13 years in this, it is impossible that she trains for four months and gets to this level,” she added.
Throughout the competition, Swapna was seen in tears, as her own performance was not the mark.
Nandini Agasara to Take Up Matter with AFI
On the other hand, the bronze medal winner told Sportstar, “I will definitely take it up with the federation. I will not leave this lightly. I won my first international medal, here at the Asian Games, and I wanted to enjoy it a little but I have not got a chance to do even that. Why did she not say anything when I started competing? How can someone say something like this about another woman.
“We only think of winning medals for India, I knew nothing when I started only that I have to do well in sports and get medals for the country. Now that I have won, all these trolls have come out. Whenever someone starts getting successful, there are always many to pull them down. But this is not about me at all, I am sad that she did not think before defaming India’s name in a foreign country,” Nandini continued.
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