What’s the story?
Krishna Poonia, the discus thrower who represented India in several international competitions including the Olympics, became the saviour of two teenage girls on New Year’s Day.
The two young girls, who turned out to be sisters, were being harassed by a group of three eve teasers riding a motorbike at a railway crossing in a small town in Rajasthan. The Olympian, who was inside her car, noticed the incident taking place right before her eyes and immediately ran to the girls’ aid.
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The mere sight of the tall, athletic Poonia reduced the bullies to lily-livered rabbits as they fled on their bike as fast as they could.
Speaking to Sportskeeda after the incident, Poonia said, “I called the police twice actually telling them that there is a commotion being created; I could literally see the closest police station and told them it’s very close to where you are. However, they took time to arrive and I couldn't waste any time.
“It can happen to you, me or any other woman; we must stand up for ourselves. The biggest problem is that the people who cry feminism and equality on social media are often the ones who choose to stay quiet about what’s going on. Let’s make a change and stand up to such bullies.”
In case you didn’t know...
Krishna Poonia won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 with a throw of 61.51m, leading an Indian clean sweep in the women’s discus final in Delhi. She was also awarded the highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2011 for her achievements in sports.
She represented India in two Olympics and even won two bronze medals at the Asian Games.
The heart of the matter
Poonia was stranded at the congested railway crossing when her attention was drawn to the incident. As soon as she realised what was going on, the 39-year-old stepped out of her car and accosted the three rowdies.
The louts, who were very aggressive while confronting the young girls, were frightened when they saw Poonia approaching. They revved up their bike and fled from the scene but Poonia was not one to give up.
She wriggled her way through the congestion behind the fleeing bike and managed to catch up after running around 50 metres. Poonia caught hold of one of the bullies and hauled him off the saddle. The filmi-style chase attracted the attention of a large crowd but by that time Poonia had already called up the police to hand over her catch.
What next?
Poonia then accompanied the two sisters to the police station and helped them complete the official formalities for lodging the case.
She told Sportskeeda, “I personally went to the police station to complete all formalities as I was sure if I didn't go it wouldn't have been seen through. If you can’t expect to come down to the scene of the crime in time, you can't expect them to write a report either.”
Sportskeeda’s take
In an age where there are so many instances of women being harassed in the country, only on rare occasions do we see anyone standing up to the abusers. By giving the bullies what they deserved, Poonia has definitely set an example.
This is not just an act of heroism on the part of Poonia; it is an act of humanity that needs to be lauded.
