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Jakarta Asian Games' champion heptathlete Swapna Barman missed out on a podium finish at the Hangzhou edition of the continental games by a whisker, coming in at the fourth spot after two days of grueling track-and-field action.
Barman finished fourth with 5,708 points and fell just four short of countrywoman Nandini Agasara (5,712) who took home the bronze. China's Zheng Ninalia and Uzbekistan's Ekaterina Voronina, meanwhile, took home the gold and silver medals respectively.
A day after the conclusion of the event, Swapna Barman, on Monday (October 2), took to social media to share her disappointment with the heptathlon results.
The Jalpaiguri-born athlete took many by surprise when she claimed that she lost out on a bronze medal to a "transgender women [sic]", before appealing to the public to support her."I have lost my Asian Games bronze medal to a transgender women at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. I want my medal back as it is against the rules of our Athletics. Help me and support me please. #protestforfairplay," Swapna Barman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Barman's tweet, with the hashtag "protest for fair play" has since received a lot of traction and varied replies.
While she did not take names, Barman did mention losing the "bronze medal" in the post. India's Nandini Agasara was the bronze medal winner in the competition.
How has Swapna Barman fared at the 2022 Asian Games heptathlon event?
Swapna Barman was in the silver medal position at one stage of the heptathlon event. She made a strong start to the competition in the 100m hurdles race but fell behind after the high jump competition.
The Indian, who was left teary-eyed after not being able to clear the 1.73m mark in the high jump, slipped further after a poor showing in the shot put event, where she finished in the third-last position.
Back on track for the 200m, her prospects failed to improve as she came in second-last, only to follow it up with mediocre showings in the long jump and javelin throw events.
Barman eventually lost the bronze medal — which would have been her second Asian Games medal after the 2018 gold — in the concluding 800m race, wherein she came third. The race was won by Nadini, who bagged the bronze courtesy of a strong performance.
