She used to just sit there and watch us practice. And because her house was right next to our training facility, she would bring us large jars of drinking water. Her initial duty was to just provide us with water, recalls coach Hanuma, who is credited with producing several young talents from the region in recent times.
Deepika, on the other hand, is one of the best junior throwers in the country in 2022. The 16-year-old, who holds the U-16 national record, proved her credentials once more on Monday at the Youth Nationals in Bhopal, where she rewrote her own youth (U-18) record with a best effort of 51.83m.
Apart from good technique, Hanuma believes that Deepika’s sheer hard work and commitment set her apart from the competition.
She has only missed one training session in the last five years, and that was when her uncle died. She does not go to any family functions or weddings. She has the ability to grasp things and is very diligent, Hanuma says.
Deepika and coach Hanuma are looking forward to the Kuwait Asian Championships and hope that Deepika’s lower abdomen muscle strain will be resolved by then.
She competed in the competition by taping. She has been having problems since June, and the only solution is for her to get enough rest. I give her breaks as our doctor has advised, Hanuma says.
