I am still the same village girl from Dhing who used to help my father in the paddy field, help mother in household chores, run for hours on the streets of Dhing, play football with my Mon Jai group friends.
Forget the past, and ask me what's next.
When I was in Class II, we used to walk about 5 km. to school. I did not know of Olympics or even athletics then. One day, a friend went in a car and left me behind. I was so angry, I wanted to run and outrace the car. I ran so fast that I tripped and fractured my knee.
I am hurt that some people criticise very harshly without even realising the hardships which we go through.
It is a great feeling that I am the first Indian to win a gold medal in track event in world juniors.
Besides my father, who used to be a footballer at the local level, it is Messi for whom I started to play football.
I am a low-key girl from a middle-class family of a small village.
I'm not comparing it with cricketers who get huge money. But getting some financial benefits do motivate players, especially athletes. I appreciate this move by the state government. A state like Haryana has been producing more and more players because of such motivations.
I don't show tension and nervousness, but I know how fast my heartbeat races before a race.
We are human beings, at the end of the day. Success and failure are a part and parcel of our life.
My paternal uncle and aunt have jobs, and they are the ones who feed the family with a regular income.
I am a positive person, and I want to look ahead in life and do something for my parents and the country.
My role model was Sachin Tendulkar as a kid. I feel very proud that I have been able to follow his footsteps and become a UNICEF ambassador like him.
The ultimate dream of an athlete is to compete in the Olympics. For us athletes, that is the zenith. There is nothing beyond that.
