Seema Kumari’s Asian Games Bronze: The Story Behind Her Rise
Seema Kumari’s Story Explains How A Barefoot Runner Became An Asian Games Medallist.
✍️ By Shri Pradeep Trivedi
English translation adapted from the original Gujarati article without changes to the content or experiences
Freelance Writer | Author | Sports Analyst | Lecturer | Sports Journalist
At the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, 25-year-old Seema Kumari from Reta, a small village in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, made history.
Seema grew up running barefoot on narrow mountain paths and through green fields. When she finished on the podium in the women’s 10,000-metre race, tears of joy filled her eyes. It was a journey from the mountains to the podium!
Seema Kumari faced many difficulties before achieving this historic success. She ended India’s 16-year wait for a medal in this event. She completed the race in just 32 minutes and 50.05 seconds. She ran with great energy and determination, keeping the Indian national flag in her mind.
India’s Historic Success After 16 Years
Sixteen years earlier, on 21 November 2010, India had made history at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.
Preeja Sreedharan, a 28-year-old runner from Idukki in Kerala, won India’s first gold medal in the women’s 10,000-metre race. She completed the race in 31 minutes and 50.47 seconds. Her victory marked a golden chapter in India’s Asian Games history.
Another Indian runner, 25-year-old Kavita Raut from Nashik, Maharashtra, won the silver medal. She finished the race in 31 minutes and 51.44 seconds. The podium echoed with cheers of “India, India!”
At that time, Seema Kumari was just a nine-year-old girl. She spent her days playing and running with her five brothers and sisters in the mountains around Reta.
A Difficult Childhood in a Small Mountain Village
Seema spent much of her childhood grazing cattle and running barefoot on mountain paths.
She was the youngest of six children. When she was just 12 years old, her father died of cancer. The family had only two bighas of land and two cows.
Her mother, Kesari Devi, had never attended school. After her husband’s death, she had to raise all six children on her own.
Seema’s five elder brothers and sisters worked on farms and did manual labour to support the family. Her mother faced many difficulties but worked hard to raise her children.
The family lived in a simple mud house. They had no electricity until 2018, when Seema was 17 years old. Until then, they depended on daylight.
Seema had very little experience of life outside her village. In 2017, when she travelled to Delhi before leaving for Bangkok to take part in the Asian Youth Championships, she saw a lift for the first time. She was frightened when she saw it.
A Mother’s Support Changed Seema’s Life
Seema’s mother played the most important role in her early development.
When Seema was selected for the Asian Youth Championships, the family did not have enough money to pay for her journey.
Her mother broke a fixed deposit that she had created with her savings. She used the money to help Seema take part in the competition.
Until 2016, Seema had only one pair of sports shoes. When the soles wore out, she repaired them with patches and continued running.
She also faced opposition from people in her village because she wore shorts while running.
Some villagers complained to the village panchayat and called her mother to a meeting. They asked who would marry Seema if she continued running in shorts.
Her mother gave them a brave reply.
“My daughter will run for India. After that, boys will run after her to marry her!”
Her mother’s courage and support gave Seema the confidence to continue. This support helped her build a career in athletics.
Reta: A Small Village in the Mountains of Himachal Pradesh
Reta is a small village in the Bharmour area of Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh.
It is just two kilometres from Bharmour town, which was once the ancient capital of Himachal Pradesh.
The village stands at a height of 846 metres above sea level, among the Dhauladhar mountains.
Reta has around 70 houses and a population of about 350 people.
Nearly 98% of its people belong to the Scheduled Tribe Gaddi community. Most families earn their living by raising sheep and goats. They also grow kidney beans, maize and potatoes.
Seema grew up among mountains, streams, forests and beautiful natural surroundings.
She is a quiet, simple and humble athlete who speaks very little. She is also a devotee of Lord Hanuman.
Rising Star School Helped Seema Build Her Career
Rising Star School in Chamba and its chairman, Sanjeev Suri, played a major role in Seema’s development.
Seema studied at the government primary school in Reta until Class 5. She then joined Rising Star School in Chamba in Class 6.
This decision changed her life.
The school’s chairman, Sanjeev Suri, took Seema under his care. The school paid her fees and provided her with shoes, food and other support.
Seema, who later won the bronze medal in the 10,000-metre race, began her sporting journey on the school’s sports ground.
She later continued her secondary and higher secondary education at the Government Senior Secondary School in Bharmour. She also studied through open schooling while living in Dharamshala.
How Seema’s Running Talent Was Discovered
Seema’s brother, Rajkumar, spoke about her early days after she won a silver medal at the World University Games in 2025.
He said that when Seema was in Class 5, she used to run on the small playground of Reta’s government primary school.
She also ran barefoot on narrow mountain and forest paths while grazing cattle.
When she joined Rising Star School in Class 6, her physical training instructor, K. C. Bhatt, noticed her running skills and her love for the sport.
He saw that Seema had the talent to become a successful runner.
At first, he wanted to train her as a sprinter. He began giving her proper training for short-distance races.
Seema could complete the 100-metre and 200-metre races very quickly.
By the time she reached Class 10, she had started winning school and state-level competitions.
While studying in Class 10, she took part in a state-level 1,500-metre race and became the Himachal Pradesh state champion.
This success showed that she was more than a sprinter. She had the physical strength and mental ability needed for long-distance running.
A Special Moment With Her Role Model, P. T. Usha
After Seema won the bronze medal in the 10,000-metre race at the Asian Games, she received a special surprise.
Her role model, P. T. Usha, came forward to congratulate her and took a photograph with her.
It was a very special moment for Seema.
P. T. Usha had always been her source of inspiration. Seema had decided to build a career in running after watching Usha compete.
P. T. Usha, who is now the President of the Indian Olympic Association, congratulated Seema on her historic success.
She praised Seema for winning the bronze medal and ending India’s 16-year wait for a medal in this event.
She also encouraged Seema to work harder, follow her dreams and make the country proud.
Receiving such praise from her role model was a great honour for Seema.
From a Sprinter to a Long-Distance Runner
Seema’s journey as a long-distance runner began in 2015, when she was just 14 years old.
A coach at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Dharamshala noticed her strong endurance.
The coach told her that she had excellent stamina and should practise long-distance running. He believed she could achieve great success in these events.
Following this advice, Seema began training seriously for the 3,000-metre, 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre races.
Her hard work soon produced results.
In 2016, she set a national record in the 2,000-metre race in the under-16 category.
In 2017, she won a gold medal at the Youth National Championships. She also set a national record in the 3,000-metre race with a time of 9 minutes and 56.25 seconds.
Training Without a Stadium or Modern Facilities
In 2024, Seema won a gold medal in the 10,000-metre race at the Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong.
Her success is even more special when we look at the conditions in her home village.
Reta has no proper drainage system. People get their water from natural streams.
Although the village now has electricity, it is available for only four to five hours a day.
The roads are not properly built. During winter, snow blocks the roads for four to five months.
The nearest railway station is Pathankot, which is around 100 kilometres away.
The literacy rate among women in the village is only 29.5%.
Despite these difficulties, Seema travelled from the mountains to the international podium and brought pride to India.
There was no stadium in her village, so she used to practise by running four kilometres on the mountain slopes between Bharmour and Khani.
This daily practice made her stronger. It also gave her natural high-altitude training.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congratulates Seema
Seema Kumari’s bronze medal in the women’s 10,000-metre race at the 20th Asian Games ended India’s 16-year wait for a medal in this event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the 25-year-old athlete from Himachal Pradesh.
He expressed pride in Seema’s bronze medal and praised her determined performance.
He said that her success had brought India a medal in this event after many years.
He also praised her endurance, discipline and years of hard work.
Seema Kumari Brings Pride to Bank of India
Seema Kumari is also a proud employee of Bank of India, one of India’s leading banks.
The bank recently completed 120 years of service on 7 September.
Bank of India has around 50,564 employees and a total business of ₹14.46 lakh crore.
It has 5,202 branches and 8,166 ATMs. The bank also has 47 branches across 15 foreign countries.
Along with providing banking services, Bank of India works to support young people in education and sport.
The bank has always encouraged athletes to follow their dreams.
One such example is Amoj Jacob, another proud employee of Bank of India.
At the 19th Asian Games, held in Hangzhou in 2022, Amoj Jacob won a gold medal in the men’s 4 × 400-metre relay race.
He was part of the Indian team alongside Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Anas and Muhammed Ajmal.
Their victory brought India a gold medal in this event after 60 years, following the country’s earlier success in 1962.
Amoj Jacob also took part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Seema Kumari has followed a similar path of success, growing from a student at Rising Star School into a star employee of Bank of India.
In 2024, she won a gold medal in the 10,000-metre race at the Asian Cross Country Championships in Hong Kong.
In 2025, she won two silver medals in the 5,000-metre race, one at the South Asian Championships and another at the World University Games.
Seema Kumari has truly become a symbol of:
“Bronze for India, Pride for Bank of India.”
Why Seema Did Not Tell Her Mother About Her Trip to Japan
Seema Kumari loves singing traditional mountain songs.
For the past three years, she has been training under American coach Scott Simmons.
When she travelled to Japan to take part in the Asian Games, she did not tell her 78-year-old mother, who has a heart condition, that she was going so far away.
Her mother had always supported and encouraged her, but Seema was worried about her health.
She feared that her mother might become anxious if she knew that her daughter was travelling all the way to Japan.
She was also worried that her mother might spend sleepless nights thinking about her.
So, instead of telling her about the trip to Japan, Seema told her mother that she was going to Bengaluru for training.
Tears of Joy as Seema’s Mother Hears the Good News
The whole world witnessed Seema’s wonderful performance when she won the bronze medal.
Sanjeev Suri, the chairman of Rising Star School, also watched her historic victory with tears of joy in his eyes.
He was the first person to share the happy news with Seema’s mother, Kesari Devi.
When Kesari Devi heard about her daughter’s success, her eyes filled with tears.
She said that Rising Star School had supported Seema during difficult times and helped her fulfil her dreams.
Later, Seema called her mother from Japan.
The first thing her mother told her was, “My daughter, take some rest and get a massage.”
These simple words showed a mother’s deep love and care for her daughter.
Even after Seema had won a medal for India, her mother’s first concern was whether her daughter was tired.
Reta Village Celebrates Seema’s Historic Victory
When the news of Seema’s bronze medal reached Reta, the whole village began celebrating.
The villagers were so happy that it felt as though everyone had won a medal.
People shared sweets, and the village had a festive atmosphere similar to Diwali.
The villagers now say that when their “Flying Fairy” returns home, they will take her to visit the 84 temples.
The area is home to 84 temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The famous Manimahesh Yatra also begins from here.
The people of Reta believe that Seema’s historic success is a blessing from Lord Shiva.
Seema’s Message to Women: “Don’t Be Afraid, Run!”
Seema Kumari runs around 145 kilometres every week.
She starts her day very early and runs 20 kilometres before sunrise.
After achieving international success, this Indian athlete has a simple but powerful message for women across the country:
“Don’t be afraid, run!”
Seema also has a special dream. She wants to build a running ground for girls in Chamba.
She hopes this will give more girls in Himachal Pradesh the chance to train, become successful athletes and win more medals for India.
Acknowledgement:
Newz Daddy extends sincere thanks to Shri Pradeep Trivedi, author, sports analyst and journalist, for sharing his memorable Asian Games details. We also appreciate the photographs and personal experiences that have enriched this article.
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