Forgotten Sprint Queen:
Asha Roy's Battle
from Glory to
Survival
In the dusty lanes of Ghanshyampur village, Hooghly
district, West Bengal, 21-year-old Asha Roy exploded onto India's athletics
scene on November 4, 2011. Daughter of vegetable seller Bholanath Roy and
homemaker Bulu, Asha clocked a blistering 11.85 seconds in the 100m
dash at Kolkata's 51st National Open Athletics Championships – fastest woman in
India, shattering doubts from her impoverished roots. She followed with 24.36s gold
in 200m and silver in 4x100m relay, anchoring Bengal's team at 47.49s. The
village erupted; crowds carried her home on shoulders, dreaming Olympic gold.
Rise from Poverty: First noticed at 2009-2010 West
Bengal meets, Asha trained barefoot on village fields, fueled by her father's
insistence on 200m events. No coaches, no kits – just raw talent. 2013 brought
international bronze at Asian Championships (Pune, 23.71s 200m) and
gold at Indian Grand Prix (24.23s meet record). West Bengal Athletics
Association awarded ₹50,000 – a fortune for Ghanshyampur. Media hailed
"India's Fastest Woman," just 0.47s shy of national record.
The Fall: Peak shattered in 2015. Training in Bengaluru
for Rio Olympics, doctors diagnosed spinal cord injury – likely from
overtraining without support. "Impossible to train hard," Asha later
shared. Dream crushed; no surgery funding, no rehab. Sports Authority of India
(SAI) camps ignored her pleas; government schemes like Khelo India bypassed her
village obscurity. She faded from radars.
Railways Lifeline & Betrayal: Leveraging sports
quota, Asha joined Indian Railways job – clerical role in Howrah. But spinal
pain persisted; no comeback possible. Railways provided salary (~₹25,000/month
est. 2021), yet bureaucracy stalled promotions. No pension security; medical
leaves unpaid. By 2021 reports, she became "forgotten athlete,"
struggling alone.
2026 Survival Fight: Now 36, Asha resides in modest
Howrah quarters. Spinal condition chronic – walks with limp, rejects athletics
coaching dreams. Daily battle: Railway duties amid pain, singlehandedly
supporting aging parents (Bholanath retired, frail). No medals displayed;
village fame evaporated. Monthly expenses (~₹20,000) strain salary after
medical bills (₹5,000+ physiotherapy). Applies for state pensions repeatedly –
denied thrice citing "inactive athlete." Fights via emails to
Athletics Federation of India (AFI), SAI – responses: silence or
"documents incomplete."
Asha's resilience shines: Volunteers local school sprint
clinics barefoot-kids style, mentoring 20 girls. "I ran for family
pride," she told local reporters 2023. Rejects pity: "Govt took my
records for headlines, left me hungry." No Olympics, no Arjuna Award –
just survival grit. Petitions AFI for spinal surgery grant (₹3 lakhs needed);
crowdfunding stalled at ₹20,000.
India's sprint queen survives bureaucracy's neglect – medals
won, promises broken. Asha Roy fights daily, proving talent outlives
abandonment.
Conclusion: Sprint Queen's Silent Fight Continues
Asha Roy's 11.85 seconds made history India forgot. Sports
Authority of India spent ₹200 crore (2026 budget) on elite camps while
spinal surgery grants vanished. Khelo India ignores state medalists.
West Bengal's "₹50,000 hero" survives on railway salary, coaching
next generation with broken body.
NewsWebFit Demand: Immediate ₹3 lakh spinal
surgery grant, Arjuna Award consideration, Khelo India legacy
inclusion. India's fastest woman deserves dignity, not denial.
Next: Part 2 – Kamal Kumar Valmiki (Boxer turned GarbageCollector)
Follow NewsWebFit for complete 5-part series exposing India's sports
betrayal.