Swapna Barman, who became the first Indian to secure a gold medal in heptathlon at the Asian Games, left for Nuremberg, Germany for her customized shoes, on Monday night, which will be designed by a sportswear giant based in the country.
Swapna, who hails from West Bengal, is born with six toes in both her feet, and her condition garnered attraction when she clinched a Gold at the Jakarta Games held earlier this year.
After her glory at the Asian Games, the athlete had made an emotional appeal for customized shoes, which saw an immediate response from the Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who directed the concerned authorities to take up the matter on an urgent basis.
Before heading to Germany, the heptathlete said the customized shoes will help her improve her performance. “This step is really important for me as a custom-made shoe will help me deal with the pain I feel on the track.
Source: Indian Express