When it comes to fighting against heavy odds and overcoming obstacles, Indian women have proved time and again that they are second to none. On the occasion of International Women’s Day let us look back at the achievements of four women who were the pioneers of women’s sports in independent India.
There were four women who represented India at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. They were Nilima Ghosh, Mary D’Souza Sequeira, Arati Saha and Dolly Nazir. The first two were track athletes and the second two were swimmers. Although they did not win any medals, what was admirable was their enthusiasm, passion to excel and eagerness to see that Indian women did not go unrepresented in world sport’s most important arena.