KOLKATA: Some run from responsibility. Some run for it. Huidrom Bhumeshwory Devi ran barefoot to keep her family going. Now she runs for an Olympic dream.Four years after her father died in 2012, prize money became much-needed income for the family — Bhumeshwory, her mother and two brothers — in Huidrom Awang Leikai village of Manipur’s Imphal West district.She entered her first competitive race — a 19km inter-school event — while in class 7, finished second and pocketed Rs 5,000. It was more than a medal. It was money for home. Her next test was a 21km half marathon, run barefoot, where she finished 12th.Her mother resisted, fearing for her health. “My father had a heart condition, and she was afraid I might also suffer the same fate. I was also the thinnest, so she was always worried about my health,” said Bhumeshwory, 22.She kept running anyway and her mother relented as medals replaced doubt. Last week, she clinched bronze in 800m at Asian U-23 Championships in China’s Ordos.Manipur has remained scarred since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023. “Today, the situation in Manipur is far from normal, but it feels like nobody is listening. I have come back home with an international medal, yet there isn’t much attention on athletics,” she said.Bhumeshwory had trained under coach Kailas Kasar at SAI’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Imphal since 2021. Her training came to a halt when ethnic violence broke out, and she had to leave the state.“I thought my career was over. I cried a lot. I knocked on every door for help, but nothing worked. I had little choice but to move to NCOE Bhopal. It felt like I was leaving my home behind. I stayed in Bhopal till the end of the year,” she said.What looked like a stumbling block became a stepping stone. She moved to SAI Bengaluru in 2024, where she came under Italian coach Claudio Pannozzo.Bhumeshwory won bronze in China while fighting her body. Severe stomach pain from ovarian cysts. “I couldn’t perform at my best… Thankfully, the doctors have assured me that medication should be enough,” she said. She also ran 1,500m in Ordos but missed a podium finish.Bhumeshwory hopes to erase Tintu Luka’s national 800m record before eventually switching focus to 400m and chasing Hima Das’s national mark. Coach Pannozzo believes bigger milestones await.“Bhumi is an outgoing athlete who has the ability to channel pre-race tension into positive energy. She has enjoyed 2 years of continuous progress, lowering her 800m personal best from 2:07.17 to 2:04.44 — an outstanding improvement in such a highly competitive event,” he said.From barefoot races to an Asian podium, Bhumeshwory has outrun poverty and pain. She narrowly missed qualification for this year’s Asian Games. Now, her eyes are set on one goal. The Olympics. Los Angeles 2028.
