Sprint queen Shanti Pereira thought she had to run at least three rounds in the women’s 200m at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last weekend.
But she had to run in only a heat and the final because of last-minute withdrawals.
“That kind of turned out in my favour, I had less stress to deal with,” the 27-year-old told tabla! on Wednesday, after she ended Singapore’s 49-year wait for a gold medal in track and field at the Asian Games.
Shanti won the race at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in 23.03sec, ahead of China’s Li Yuting (23.28sec) and Bahrain’s Edidiong Ofonime Odiong (23.48sec).
After her No. 1 position flashed on the scoreboard, Shanti could not hold back her emotions.
“It’s been an incredible season,” she said.
“When I realised I had won, I thanked God for everything. I then ran towards the 100m flatline, where my parents and friends were seated, and took a bow in acknowledgement of their support.
“My parents have given me their full support since I started running in primary school. They love sports and when I found something that I really enjoyed doing, they told me to go for it. With their encouragement, I started to take athletics a bit more seriously.”
When she was written off following poor runs and injuries in 2017 and 2018 and battled self-doubt, pressure and critics, Shanti said her dad Clarence and mum Jeet “gave me a shoulder to cry on”.
“They were always there for me. They were the ones who always believed in me no matter what, even when I didn’t really believe in myself. I have this incredible gift and they know I want to make full use of it.
“My family members are my top supporters. (Older sister and former national sprinter) Valerie (Seema) knows what I need as an athlete, while (oldest sister) Shobi and (older brother) Anand are always there for me.
“We all live apart but still gather at our parents’ home whenever we can, just hanging out together for the day.”
The family also gathers to celebrate Catholic festivals.
“I have relatives all over the world,” said Shanti.
“When I visit my paternal grandma, who hails from Kerala, she would make really good appam. It always feels like a big celebration when all of us are together.”
Shanti said she was looking forward to a meal with her family upon her return. “I want to take it easy for a while as my season has ended. I will go on a holiday.”
V.K. Santosh Kumar
