She trained under 1972 Olympics gold medallist Mac Wilkins
Krishna Punia. (Photo: PTI/File)
New Delhi: Being a defending champion, at times, can be an added pressure for an athlete but discuss thrower Krishna Poonia is unperturbed by this fact.
“I know there will be a lot of expectation from me but it is a part of a sportsperson’s life. I am just focusing on my training and competition and not thinking about all these things,” Poonia told this paper from Glasgow, where she has been training for the last few days.
After being sidelined for almost a year with a groin injury, Poonia is now ready to defend her Commonwealth Games gold medal in Scotland.
“I am 100 per cent fit now and prepared to repeat the feat that I achieved in Delhi,” she said.
Poonia, who trained in the United States for two-and-a-half months going into the Glasgow Games, said the exposure helped her improve and she was expecting to be in peak form during the July 23 to August 3 event.
She trained under 1972 Olympics gold medallist Mac Wilkins at Chula Vista in California till mid-July.
“I chose to train under Wilkins because of the facilities there and similar climactic conditions to that of Glasgow. I had trained under him in 2008 and 2012 also,” said the 32-year-old, the national record holder.
Poonia reckons Dani Samuels of Australia as her main competitor at the Games. Poonia is also positive about the Indian athletics team’s chances at the CWG. “I feel the Indian team have good chances. I see the men’s discuss throwers, the women’s relay team and jumpers as medal prospects,” she said.
Coach and husband Virender was satisfied with her progress.
( Source : dc )
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