CHENNAI: Thangjam Tababi Devi became the first Indian judoka to win an Olympic medal — senior or junior — when she clinched a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics. Despite it not being her first achievement at the international level, the second-place finish in Buenos Aires changed the life of the Manipur athlete forever.
Her parents — father Th Thoiba Singh, who is a daily wage labourer and mother Th Ongbi Kamala Devi, who is a fish vendor — used to borrow money to ensure their daughter can concentrate on judo and participate in national and international events. Frequent borrowing meant the couple, who could hardly manage Rs 300 per day, was neck-deep in debt with no substantial income to repay it. The Youth Olympics silver medal last year not only established Tababi as a leading junior judoka in the country but also helped her parents repay the debts.
With financial matters being taken care of, 17-year-old Tababi was able to concentrate on judo and win laurels for the country as she bagged a handful of medals thereafter. The latest in the list is her first-place finish at the Asian Oceania Cadet and Junior Championships, which concluded in Taipei on Wednesday. India finished with six medals including a gold in the cadet event. India juniors though put up a brave fight but returned empty-handed after a few of them lost in the medal rounds. The only gold for the country was fetched by none other than Tababi.
“Life was difficult prior to Youth Olympics silver. My parents had taken loans so that I can continue my practice and participate in events. I am happy I managed to repay their loans and also help them in constructing kitchen at our home in Kokchai Makha Leikai village in Mayang with the prize money I received from the government of India and Indian Olympic Association,” Tababi told this newspaper.
Speaking on the event, she said, “The second bout against the Kazakhstan judoka was tough. The contest tested both my strengths and skills but overall it was quite an easy outing.”
Tababi, who idolises Ryoko Tamura, the legendary judoka from Japan, though has set her eyes on 2024 Paris Olympics but wants to concentrate on events which are lined up in near future with Commonwealth Championships in England next.
Other Indian judokas, who won medals in the Taipei event are Mansi (44kg, silver), Sohan Singh (55kg, bronze), Bishal Singh Konphoujam (66kg, bronze), Priya (40kg, bronze) and Unnati Sharma (63kg, bronze).