India’s star discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur on injury list, doubtful for Commonwealth Games

India’s Tokyo Olympian and national record holder in women’s discus throw, Kamalpreet Kaur, looks doubtful for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games starting July 28, due to a knee injury.

The 26-year-old Olympian from Punjab explained her situation on Thursday.

“I’m undergoing rehabilitation programme for knee pain, which is why I didn’t join the national camp in Patiala.”

Kamalpreet Kaur's journey since Tokyo Olympics

After finishing a creditable sixth in the women’s discus throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games last year, injuries have hampered Kamalpreet Kaur's progress in the throwing arena. In September 2021, she pulled out of the Open National Athletics Championships held in Andhra Pradesh due to a shoulder niggle.

The Punjab thrower, however, won the gold medal in the second leg of the Indian Grand Prix in March in Kerala. But she withdrew from the 25th National Federation Cup Athletics Championships held in the first week of April in Kerala due to a knee injury.

“Surgery will be the last option to get rid of the pain. But I want to get well through rehabilitation programme."

The Punjab thrower won gold in the second leg of the IGP with a throw of 61.39m, which was far off her personal best of 66.59m set last year.

Based on her performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Kamalpreet was included in the World Athletics Registered Testing Pool (RTP) programme for 2022. India’s Olympic champion in men’s javelin throw Neeraj Chopra is another elite Indian athlete in the RTP programme of World Athletics.

Under RTP guidelines, Kamalpreet has to quarterly update her whereabouts in advance of an out-of-competition dope test to support clean sport.

Kamalpreet was the first Indian woman to break the 65m barrier for discus throw. In 2021, between March to June, she improved the national women's discus throw record twice.

The Punjab thrower also refuted allegations of failing a dope test recently, claiming she has been subject to random dope tests several times and there wasn’t any adverse reports.

“I’ve opted out of the national camp on my own due to injury and not because of doping issue."