Daughter in the stands, Manpreet Kaur wins Asian Games bronze after CWG hearts

Manpreet Kaur’s 15-year-old daughter was in the stands to watch a special moment in her mother’s career when the Indian bowler won bronze at the Nagoya Asian Games on Friday.

Speaking to Sony Sports Network after the event, Manpreet revealed that her daughter was there to watch her showcase her bronze medal effort.

After a disappointing fourth place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month, Manpreet bounced back to claim a place on the Asian Games podium with a best throw of 17.17m.

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China’s Song Jiayuan won gold with 19.40m while Zhang Linru took silver with 18.14m. Manpreet’s 17.17m was enough for bronze.

The medal ended India’s wait for a women’s shot put medal at the Asian Games and gave Manpreet her first medal at the event. Manpreet Kaur finished third in the women’s ball final. (Image: Screengrab from results.asiangames2026.org)

For the 31-year-old, it was also a chance to put the heart from Glasgow behind her head. Manpreet finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 17.49 and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal.

She finished fifth at the 2023 Asian Games with 16.25m. Her performance in Nagoya was therefore a marked improvement on her previous Asian Games result.

Manpreet was in good form before the games. Earlier this year, she won the National Interstate Athletics Championships with a throw of 17.75m, breaking the Asian Games qualifying standard of 16.25m.

She was part of the Indian athletics contingent that trained at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo in preparation for the Asian Games.

A seven-time national champion, Manpreet has more than a decade of experience at the highest level of Indian athletics. She represented India at the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and established herself as one of the leading bowlers in the country.

She won bronze at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships with a throw of 17.00 m. Later that year, she finished fifth at the Asian Games with 16.25 m.

She again came close to a medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing fourth with 17.49m.

Manpreet’s personal best is 18.06m. She also competed at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in 2016 where she finished sixth with a throw of 15.21m.

Her strong domestic form continued in 2026 when she won the National Interstate Athletics Championships with 17.75m. This effort was well beyond the Asian Games qualifying standard of 16.25m.

Her record at major championships reflects her consistency. She is a seven-time national champion and a former bronze medalist of the Asian Athletics Championships and has also competed in the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Manpreet’s preparations for the Asian Games were also supported by the government through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). In August 2026, she became a TOP athlete.

Through TOPS, she received assistance in participating in many international competitions, including the Asian Athletics Championship and the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship.

In preparation for the Asian Games, she also received training assistance at the National Coaching Camp.

As part of her build-up in Nagoya, Manpreet received support for a pre-Asian Games training camp at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

During the current Asian Games cycle, she received financial assistance of Rs 25,000 under TOPS and Rs 2,65,678 under Annual Training and Competition Calendar (ACTC).

Now, after the disappointment of Glasgow, Manpreet has another major international medal to show for his efforts.

And with her 15-year-old daughter watching from the stands, her throw of 17.17m in Nagoya became an even more memorable moment in the career of one of India’s most experienced shot putters.

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