Nineteen-year-old Devika Sarma from Guwahati won a bronze medal in her debut international event, the South Asian Junior Triathlon Championship held in Pokhara, Nepal.
Devika, a student of Cotton University, had taken up triathlon only last year after having been into aquathlon before that. Her success in Nepal has given her the much-needed morale boost and confidence to take on bigger challenges in the future.
Speaking about her experience at the championship, Devika said that it was a great learning experience to meet and interact with athletes from different countries. She also mentioned that she realized the shortcomings in her cycling and running and is now determined to work on them.
Devika’s success has put her on the national radar. Now she will vie to earn a chance to participate in the selection trials for the Asia Triathlon U23/Junior Championships to be held in Japan in June this year.
“I want to go step by step. I want to do well in the upcoming events and then in the national games. Then I would like to do well in the international events,” said Devika, who trains at Dolphin Swimming Training Centre, runs at the Judges’ Field, SAI Field, and Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati, and does cycling on the road.
The president and secretary of the Assam Triathlon Association have urged people to come forward and participate in triathlon events to popularize the sport further.
Devika’s achievement is an inspiration to many young athletes who aspire to achieve greatness in the world of sports. Her dedication, hard work, and perseverance have paid off, and the entire nation wishes her the very best in her future endeavours.
The Assam Triathlon Association (ATA) felicitated Devika for her remarkable feat on April 9.
