Elite Indian women runners Nirma-Shyamali shine against all odds

Elite Indian women’s winner Nirma Thakor; (right) Shyamali Singh with her husband Santosh. Pic/Subodh Mayure

The Tata Mumbai Marathon is all about athletes, who raise the bar and overcome all odds. On Sunday, two such competitors, Gujarat's Nirma Thakor, 26, and West Bengal's Shyamali Singh, 31, excelled despite challenges ranging from the shifting of her training base to a severe health condition to achieve success in the Indian elite women's category of the full marathon.

Thakor, who shifted base from Gujarat to Nashik three years ago to train under coach Vijender Singh, clinched the gold, clocking 2:47:11 among elite Indian women, while Shyamali, who had tumours in her breast and brain surgically removed, secured third place (3:04:35). Pune's Reshma Kevate took silver, clocking 3:03:34.

"It was a difficult decision to leave home and my parents and move to Nashik, but had I not shifted base, I would've never won the Mumbai Marathon today and no one would've known me," Thakor told mid-day on Sunday.

Also Read: Bronze in Mumbai Marathon follows battle with brain tumour for Bengal's Shyamali

"I was not getting adequate training and support in Gujarat. But under Vijender sir's guidance, I practised and trained a lot better. Life was tough, but to achieve success, you need to work hard," added Thakor, who had finished fifth in the 2020 edition of the Mumbai Marathon.

Shayamali's husband Santosh, a former national-level runner, revealed that his wife had to be first operated upon for the removal of a tumour in her breast after winning the silver medal at the 2017 Mumbai Marathon. Then, after winning third place at the 2020 Mumbai Marathon she battled brain tumour. "A few months after winning third place at the 2020 Mumbai Marathon, Shyamali had to undergo an operation at a Chennai hospital to remove a tumour in her brain. It was a 12-hour-20-minute long surgery, which cost us R15 lakh. We ended up using all our savings," said Santosh.

"After my brain tumour surgery, I never thought I'd be able to run a marathon again, but thanks to my husband, who gave me both moral as well as financial support throughout, today I have this medal around my neck," said Shyamali.