Fueled by daal and rice, Simran overcomes fatigue to win 200 million gold in Japan

India’s 2026 Asian Para Games flag bearer Simran Sharma bagged gold in the women’s 200m T12 in Nagoya on Monday. Simran clocked 24.80 seconds to equal the Asian Para Games record set by Iran’s Hajar Safarzadeh earlier in the heats as India added a seventh gold medal to its tally.

Running alongside her guide Shivam, Simran produced a strong performance in the final to finish ahead of Safarzadeh, who clocked 25.02 seconds to settle for silver. Indian Tejalben Damor completed the bronze podium.

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The win came despite Simran battling fatigue and convalescence while in Japan. The vegetarian sprinter revealed that the limited variety of foods available to her made it difficult to maintain a regular diet. She relied on simple meals of daal and rice to get through the competition.

When asked about handling the challenges, Simran offered a characteristically blunt answer.

“It’s okay. We’re Indians. We’re pushing each other,” she told reporters after the race.

WHO IS SIMRAN SHARMA?

Born prematurely with a visual impairment, Simran faced significant challenges throughout her life. Her journey in athletics unfolded alongside difficult circumstances at home, including her father’s long-term illness and eventual death.

Her father Manoj Sharma remained a source of inspiration even when he was facing health problems. Her mother took care of the household and supported the family in difficult times. These early experiences helped shape Simran’s determination to pursue athletics despite obstacles along the way.

Simran first showed her athletic prowess at school where she competed in several events and won medals. However, financial constraints made it difficult for her to access quality coaching and training facilities.

Things began to change when she met Gajender Singh, an army soldier and sportsman who recognized her potential. Gajender became her coach and later husband and supported her sporting ambitions both emotionally and financially. His belief in her abilities played an important role in her development as a para-athlete.

One of the defining moments of Simran’s career came at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. She competed in the event while dealing with uncertainty about her father’s health. Shortly after she returned, her father died. Simran channeled her grief into her sporting ambitions, determined to honor his memory with her performances.

She subsequently qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, taking another major step in her international career.

Since then, Simran has continued to establish herself as one of India’s leading para-athletes. At the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, she shouldered the responsibility of being India’s flag bearer before adding another milestone in her career with gold in the 200m T12.

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