A month ago, social media was abuzz with actor Sydney Sweeney facing backlash over the ‘Just Sports’ controversy, which brought conversations around women, their bodies, and the way they are presented in sporting spaces to the forefront. Various national and international sportspersons who participated in competitions when the controversy was at its peak cut through the noise with one line: This is what women in sports look like.
It may have been just a statement in response to a controversy, for some. But for many women in sports, it describes an entire life they have built for themselves and the generations to come in their respective arenas. Proving the point, Vithya Ramraj, a Coimbatore-based athlete, turned heads at the 2026 Asian Games held in Japan. Vithya won a gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay, a silver in the 4x400 metres relay (mixed), and a bronze in the 400 metres hurdles. But the medals aren’t the ones that made Vithya or the country proud; it is what came before. She broke the 42-year-old national record set by PT Usha by finishing the 400m hurdles in 54.75 seconds.
For the 28-year-old, the victory did not come on a silver platter. It came from 16 years of running, choosing a coach, and standing by that decision despite criticism. After returning to the country, Vithya gets candid with CE about how missed opportunities, injuries, and societal doubts reached her doorstep long before recognition, motivating her to cross the finish line.
Vithya’s relationship with sports began in 2009. “When I was in 6th standard, my PET teacher noticed that my twin sister, Nithya, and I were active in sports. So, she called my parents and told them about a sports hostel in Erode. My mother signed us up for it. We got into college through the sports quota as well,” she recalls.
Turning the tide
Thus began her journey in athletics. In 2021, Vithya moved to Chennai to train under a coach who would become central to that journey — Nehpal Singh Rathore. He was introduced to Vithya through Nithya, who was already training with him. Seeking individual guidance, Vithya decided to train under him.
Initially, Nehpal was not looking at her timing alone. “In 2021, when she (Vithya) came to me, performance-wise, she was like 59 (seconds) in 400-metre hurdles and 54-change in 400 metres (relay),” he says. “I see character, determination, dedication, and discipline. Because for a human being to get moulded in a new form, we need them to have these qualities, and Vithya, in these terms, is the best in India.”
Their partnership began with an ambitious target — the 2022 Asian Games held in 2023 in China. Having faith in Nehpal’s vision was initially difficult for Vithya, as it’d be her first international competition and she was clueless. But the belief grew with every training session and competition. At that Asian Games, Vithya won three medals — two silver in relay and a bronze in hurdles — while equalling PT Usha’s Indian national record of 55.42 seconds. “And as we thought, in 2023, I equalled the record, and only then did I gain more confidence that the coach was there to support us throughout. So I questioned myself, why can’t I?” she says.
Real hurdle
The record that gave her confidence also became the benchmark against which she was repeatedly judged. For the next three years, the question remained: when would she break it?
Her decision to continue training with Nehpal was questioned too. “In our country, there is a barrier between Indian coaches and foreign coaches who are invited here to perform. Everyone around me asked me to join the camp because there are foreign coaches who will train well. They also said things like my coach is a ‘waste’ and that he will not make me perform well,” she recalls.
The doubts continued. Yet, for Nehpal, criticism was simply a “part of the journey”.
His advice to Vithya was simple: “There will be some criticism for two days. Some might be for one year. You just have to close your ears, do the work. And year by year, when you perfect your art, slowly things change.”
The duo carried that belief into this season. But this time, the approach was different. Vithya recalls what the coach told her: “Last Asian Games, we missed it, but this time, let’s not go to break the record or to win medals; let’s give our best performance; you look at your line and run with focus.”
She did just that. Vithya stepped onto the track and just ran, without any expectations. “When I finished the race, I did not see the medal position. I thought I finished fourth because athletes before me had crossed the line and the timing display was also delayed by a minute,” she says. Then she saw the timing. “Only after seeing the time, I was thinking, how did I do it? I wasn’t happy about the medal, but about breaking the record. I danced and was elated.”
The clock read 54.75 seconds. For Nehpal, who had expected something closer to 54.2 or 54.3, the result was still a good one. More importantly, the years of doubt had finally produced an answer on the track.
Power support
Vithya credits the government for helping athletes pursue their careers. She says, “The state government provides Rs 30 lakh annually to support my training under the ELITE scheme. Be it the State or Central government, or my job in the Railways where they give me leave to participate in meets, they have all been supportive.” The 3% sports quota reservation in government services and public sector undertakings, has been an important avenue for medal-winning athletes, she believes. The support available today can make the path easier for upcoming athletes, but their performances must also justify that support, she believes. “I met the Sports Minister (Aadhav Arjuna), and he said that the government is ready to support all the players 101%. But we should also be ready to give back to them through our performance, which is expected of us.”
Beyond recognition
Over the years, the way of recognition has also changed. After her achievements at the 2022 Asian Games, Vithya felt that she did not receive the same attention she has been receiving now. “This year, I did the same things: broke a national record and won medals in each category. But this time, everybody is watching my achievements, be it on the news or social media. I feel happy and proud that my work is being acknowledged and recognised,” she says.
She remembers travelling on a flight in 2023, wearing her jersey, only to be asked if she was a cricket player. “I think cricket is the sport that everyone knows and athletics is in the shadows,” she laments.
Vithya is already getting ready for her next target.
“Now, she is in 54 seconds. She can do 52, but it will take time; she has to process that time and work,” Nehpal believes. But Vithya says, “Only if I touch the mark of 51 (seconds), at least, I can compete with world-level athletes. The World Championships is set to happen next year, and I am starting its preparation from November.”
Chasing goal after goal, Vithya has one hope for her peers. “In the future, wherever I go, I’ll make the country proud as Vithya Ramraj, a woman. Women aspirants should also have the same motive to be proud and make others and the country proud. Only if they step out, just as my name is being hailed, theirs will also be too.”