Haryana’s Seema Kaliramna combined her experience as an athlete, researcher and mother to overcome a difficult start and win a bronze medal in the women’s discus throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
New Delhi: Seema Kaliramna’s journey to a Commonwealth Games bronze medal is about far more than a single successful discus throw. The Haryana athlete has battled arthritis, managed doctoral research, trained at an elite level and spent periods away from her young son while pursuing her sporting ambitions.
At the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, all those experiences came together.
Kaliramna, a PhD scholar and discus thrower from Haryana, won the bronze medal with a throw of 58.65 metres. Her success came after a difficult start, with her first attempt hitting the net.
Instead of allowing the setback to affect her confidence, Kaliramna drew on the subject of her doctoral research: the impact of imagery and positive self-talk on athletic performance.
That mental approach, she said, helped her recover from the early disappointment and produce the throw that secured a place on the podium.
With a Commonwealth Games bronze now in hand, Kaliramna has already set her sights on the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she hopes to return with a medal of a different colour.
Seema Kaliramna Targets Asian Games Medal
Speaking to IANS, Kaliramna said her next major objective is the Asian Games.
“My next focus is on the Asian Games. I have won a bronze at the Commonwealth Games; now my focus lies on changing the colour of the medal at the Asian Games,” she said.
The statement reflects the ambition of an athlete who sees the Commonwealth Games medal not as the final destination but as another stage in her development.
For Kaliramna, preparation for major competitions is closely connected with her academic work. Her doctoral research focuses on the psychological side of sporting performance and, according to the athlete, she has applied those ideas directly to her own career.
A First Throw Into the Net Did Not Break Her Confidence
Kaliramna’s competition did not begin as planned.
Her first throw hit the net, creating an immediate challenge in a major international event. But she remained calm, reminding herself that several attempts were still available.
“I was not worried at all after my first throw hit the net. I knew I had five throws,” she said.
Her second attempt reached around 57 metres, but she continued to focus on improving rather than becoming frustrated by the opening attempts.
“I told myself that I have four more throws left and I have to do my best in them,” she said.
That mindset proved crucial.
On her third attempt, Kaliramna threw the discus 58.65 metres, a mark that ultimately secured the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
How Her PhD Research Helped Her Win CWG Bronze
Kaliramna’s academic research is closely connected to the psychological challenges athletes face during competition.
Her PhD topic is titled “Impact of Imaginary and Positive Self-Talk Training on Athletes’ Performance.”
The discus thrower said she has been applying the ideas behind her research to her own sporting career.
“If I had not been mentally prepared, I would not have been able to nail my other throws well,” she said.
Kaliramna believes her understanding of positive self-talk and mental preparation played an important role in helping her recover after the opening throw hit the net.
Her experience at the Commonwealth Games offered a direct example of the subject she studies. When the athlete in her faced a setback, the researcher in her provided a framework for staying composed and focusing on the remaining opportunities.
That combination helped turn a difficult start into a podium finish.
Battle With Arthritis After Childbirth
Kaliramna’s path to international success has also included a significant physical challenge.
After giving birth to her child in 2022, she developed arthritis. The condition affected her strength and body weight, creating another major obstacle in her career as a discus thrower.
She said her weight dropped significantly during that period, leaving her physically weakened.
“Arthritis made me weak. I lost weight from 80-85 kg to 50-55 kg,” she said.
According to Kaliramna, doctors advised medication, including steroids, as part of managing the condition. However, her husband Ravinder, who is also her coach, encouraged a training-based approach focused on rebuilding strength and muscle.
She said his support played an important role during the difficult period.
Husband and Coach Supported Her Recovery
Kaliramna credited her husband, Ravinder, with supporting her through the challenges that followed her arthritis diagnosis.
She said he encouraged her to continue training and work towards rebuilding her physical strength.
According to Kaliramna, the goal was to develop muscle strength in the hope that it could help reduce the impact of the pain.
She said her arthritis symptoms are now better than before, although the condition has not disappeared completely.
“The arthritis pain is not permanent now. It comes only a few times,” she said.
Her recovery and return to international competition highlight the long-term physical and mental demands faced by elite athletes, particularly when health challenges interrupt training and performance.
Managing Diet and Arthritis Symptoms
Kaliramna said she must remain particularly careful about her diet because certain foods can affect her condition.
She recalled experiencing swelling in her hands and legs during a recent Silver Continental Tour. At first, she did not know what had caused the reaction.
After identifying a possible food-related trigger several days later, she stopped consuming it and said the swelling gradually reduced.
The athlete explained that arthritis-related issues can still occur occasionally, making it important for her to remain vigilant about her diet and physical condition.
Her ability to continue competing at a high level despite those challenges adds another dimension to her Commonwealth Games achievement.
A PhD Scholar, Mother and International Athlete
Away from competition, Kaliramna is also managing the demands of doctoral studies and motherhood.
She said education has never become a barrier to her sporting career.
Her training schedule allows her to dedicate rest days, including weekends, to her PhD work.
“Study has never been a barrier to sports,” she said.
Kaliramna explained that she usually works on her doctoral research during weekends or other rest days.
Balancing academic responsibilities with the demands of elite sport requires careful time management. For Kaliramna, the challenge is further complicated by the responsibilities of being a mother.
She credited her family for providing essential support.
Family Support Helps Seema Kaliramna Balance Three Roles
Kaliramna’s four-year-old son is cared for with the help of family members while she trains.
She said her son’s grandparents play an important role in supporting her career by helping take care of him during her training commitments.
The athlete trains in Patiala, while her family is connected to Bhiwani. The distance means she cannot always be with her son.
However, he sometimes travels with his grandparents to Patiala to spend time with his mother.
“My son travels to Patiala with his grandparents. He stays here for two-three days and then leaves,” she said.
The emotional challenge of being away from a young child is another part of the balancing act Kaliramna faces as an athlete and mother.
Despite those difficulties, she has continued to pursue her sporting and academic goals.
Support From the Inspire Institute of Sport
Kaliramna is supported by the Inspire Institute of Sport, according to the report.
Support systems can be crucial for elite athletes, particularly when they are managing demanding competition schedules, rehabilitation, training and personal responsibilities.
For Kaliramna, family support has been equally important. She has repeatedly emphasised the role played by her husband, parents and extended family in helping her manage her responsibilities.
Her story demonstrates that individual sporting success often depends on a wider network of coaches, family members and support organisations.
From Commonwealth Games Bronze to Asian Games Ambition
The bronze medal in Glasgow is a major achievement, but Kaliramna is already looking ahead.
Her immediate focus is the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Having secured bronze at the Commonwealth Games, she hopes to improve on that result in her next major international challenge.
The athlete’s approach to her career remains shaped by the same ideas that helped her recover after her first Commonwealth Games throw hit the net: focus on the next opportunity, remain mentally prepared and continue working towards improvement.
For Kaliramna, the road ahead includes further training, managing her health, continuing her doctoral research and balancing time with her family.
Seema Kaliramna’s CWG 2026 Story Is About More Than a Medal
Seema Kaliramna’s bronze medal represents the result of much more than physical strength.
She has navigated a serious health challenge, returned to elite competition after childbirth, continued her doctoral research and managed the emotional difficulty of being away from her young son during training.
At the Commonwealth Games, her PhD research also became part of her competitive strategy.
A first throw into the net could have changed the course of her event. Instead, Kaliramna used positive self-talk and mental preparation to reset her focus and produce a medal-winning throw of 58.65 metres.
The athlete now has a Commonwealth Games bronze medal to her name.
But for Seema Kaliramna, the next target is already clear: the Asian Games.
Her journey continues as she attempts to balance three demanding identities at once — elite athlete, doctoral researcher and mother — while pursuing the next major medal of her career.
