A mother and PhD scholar: Meet CWG bronze medallist discus thrower Seema Kaliramna

New Delhi: Seema Kaliramna, a daughter of a former basketball player and javelin thrower in the Indian Army, won the bronze medal in women’s discus throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on Thursday, taking India’s tally in athletics up to four.

The 27-year-old athlete had only two valid throws in six rounds as she repeatedly had the disc entangled in the side netting. The podium marked the first major international medal for Seema, who is also a PhD aspirant and a mother of a four-year-old boy Rudra.

Motherhood, in fact, has coincided with Seema’s growth into a top athlete. Before her son Rudra was born in 2022, her personal best was 48.08m. She returned to competitive discus throw after 11 months break in 2024 and improved it to 57.19m before hitting 59.73m at the Indian Championships in Bhubaneshwar earlier this year.

Seema, who is coached by her husband Ravinder Kaliramna, who is one of India's leading discus throw athletes and had won gold medals in the discus throw at the Indian U-18 and U-20 championships, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Physical Education at Chaudhary Bansi Lal University (CBLU), Bhiwani, alongside her sporting career.

Her athletic career faced a major setback when a serious knee injury sidelined her for more than three years. Through extensive rehabilitation and perseverance, Seema made a successful return to competition and re-established herself among the country's top discus throwers.

She won the gold medal at the 2025 National Games and later claimed the national title. Her comeback was highlighted by winning the gold medal at the 2026 South Asian Athletics Championships and delivering a series of strong performances on the national circuit.

In 2026, Seema achieved a personal best throw of 59.73m, emerging as one of India's top performers in the event and securing qualification for the 2026 Asian Games as well as selection to India's Commonwealth Games squad.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India