These Indian supermoms set to take Hangzhou Asian Games by storm

Dipika Pallikal, the 2014 edition women’s doubles gold medalist, was blessed with twins in October 2021

Making a comeback in sports after giving birth is no easy deal. However, over the years, women such as MC Mary Kom and Sania Mirza have proved a comeback is not impossible. At the upcoming Asian Games Hangzhou in China, starting September 23, there are a host of women athletes who will represent India after embracing motherhood. The Indian contingent will be competing in a total of 40 sporting disciplines.

Dipika Pallikal is one of the strongest medal hopes in squash. The 2014 edition women’s doubles gold medalist was blessed with twins in October 2021. After that won a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022. She will be seen in action with Harinder Pal Sandhu in the mixed doubles.

She became the youngest woman ever to achieve the Grandmaster title at the age of 15 in 2002. Humpy is also the second woman to exceed the 2600 Elo rating mark. She gave birth to her daughter Ahana in 2017 following which she took a maternity break. Humpy returned to become the women’s World Rapid champion in 2019.

Dronavalli is a three-time World Championship medallist. Harika played a high-pressure Chess Olympiad in her ninth month of pregnancy last year. Harika won the women’s team bronze in Chess Olympiad — the first-ever for India in the women’s section. She had won the bronze in the individual section at the 2010 Asian Games.

A national record holder, Kaur hails from Sahauli village in Patiala. She had represented India at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010. She then took a break of three years following her marriage and the birth of her daughter. She returned to the competitive arena in 2016 and became the only Indian woman to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in her field. She returned to the competitive arena in 2016 and became the only Indian woman to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in her field.

Kaur was handed a four-year doping ban in 2017. But she made a strong comeback in 2022 by hurling the iron ball to a distance of 18.06m. She became the first Indian woman to cross 18m in shot put.