Bhagwani Devi is an Indian nonagenarian athlete who is well-known for participating in several Masters Athletics Championships. In July 2022, she made headlines for winning three medals in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland.
Wiki/Biography
Bhagwani Devi Dagar was born in 1928 (age 94 years; as of 2022) in Punjab Province, British India (now Haryana, India).
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Not much is known about her parents or siblings.
Wife & Children
Her marital status is unknown. She has a son. Her grandson, Vikas Dagar, is a para-athlete and a recipient of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Bhagwani Devi’s son and grandson, Vikas, together
Career
Bhagwani Devi, in an interview, told that she started her athletic career at the beginning of 2022. She further said that she began practising with the help of her grandson, Vikas Dagar. In the same year, Bhagwani Devi participated in the Delhi State Masters Athletics Meet. In the competition, she managed to secure three gold medals in the 100-metre dash, javelin throw, and shoot put.
Bhagwani Devi with her three gold medals during the awarding ceremony at Delhi State Masters Athletics Meet
In May 2022, while participating in the 42nd National Masters Athletics Championships in Chennai, she, once again, clinched three gold medals in the 100-metre sprint, shot put, and javelin throw. Following her back-to-back victories on the field, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYAS) selected Bhagwani Devi as one of the athletes, to represent India in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland.
Bhagwani Devi with her medals and the national flag during the World Masters Athletic Championships
Bhagwani Devi, from 29 June 2022 to 10 July 2022, participated in the athletic competition held at Tampere, Finland. In the competition, she managed to secure a gold in the 100-metre sprint race, and two bronze medals in shot put and javelin throw. She managed to complete her 100-metre sprint race in 24.74 seconds.
India’s 94-year-old #BhagwaniDevi Ji has yet again proved that age is no bar!
She won a GOLD medal at the #WorldMastersAthleticsChampionships in Tampere in the 100m sprint event with a timing of 24.74 seconds.🥇She also bagged a BRONZE in Shot put.
Truly commendable effort!👏 pic.twitter.com/Qa1tI4a8zS
— Dept of Sports MYAS (@IndiaSports) July 11, 2022
Vikas Dagar, while giving an interview, said that Bhagwani Devi would be participating in the World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships 2023 in Toruń, Poland.
Facts/Trivia
- After returning to India from Finland, Bhagwani Devi, in an interview, said that her age does not hold her back and that she would like to win more medals for the country by representing India more at such athletic championships.
- In an interview given to Aaj Tak, her grandson claimed that he earlier had no idea about his grandmother was interested in sports, until one night she asked him to give her his shot put, with which he used to practice. In his interview, Vikas told the media,
One night my grandmother asked me for my shot put. When I gave her the ball, she did not show any promising performance, maybe it was because of the darkness. But in the morning she woke me up and asked for the ball once again. It was then when I got to know about her interest in sports. After this, I started preparing her by taking out on the field to practice.”
- Bhagwani Devi, in an interview, claimed that she used to go on a three-kilometre walk every day, so as to be in a condition to be able to participate in the athletic championships. She told the media in an interview,
I walk 3 km every day. I even climb the ladders in my home up to the third floor, all this so as to remain in a condition in which I can participate in such competitions.”
- In 2022, after her victory in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland, the nonagenarian athlete was congratulated and hailed by several renowned personalities.
94 वर्ष की आयु में पूरी दुनिया के लिए प्रेरणास्रोत बनी भगवानी देवी जी को पूरे हरियाणा की ओर से राम-राम!
वर्ल्ड मास्टर्स एथलेटिक्स चैंपियनशिप, फिनलैंड में स्वर्ण सहित 3 पदक जीतने पर भगवानी देवी को हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएँ।
आपकी ये उपलब्धि युवाओं में जोश भरने का कार्य करेगी। pic.twitter.com/qEvyJxcBhC
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) July 11, 2022
