Father Stood By Her Through Four Years Of Defeats: Asian Games Bronze Medalist Abinaya Rajarajan Shares Her Pride
The 19-year-old from Kalluthu village was part of Indian team that won bronze in mixed 4x100m relay at Aichi-Nagoya Asiad in Japan, reports S Sivakumar
Published : October 3, 2026 at 3:42 PM IST
|Updated : October 3, 2026 at 4:17 PM IST
Chennai: When consecutive defeats over four years prompted people around her family to question whether it was worth spending money on a daughter's sporting career, sprinter Abinaya Rajarajan's father refused to listen.
Instead, he backed his daughter with confidence, taking her before dawn every day to a synthetic track 35 km from their village in Tenkasi district. When the daily commute became difficult, her parents moved into a rented house closer to the training facility.
That support has now helped Abinaya reach the Asian Games podium. The 19-year-old from Kalluthu village was part of the Indian team that won bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a ₹30 lakh incentive in recognition of her achievement and the tall lanky girls.
Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, Abinaya recalled the difficult years before her breakthrough.
"In the beginning, when I faced consecutive defeats over four years, people around us told my family not to waste money by sending a girl to pursue sports.
"Despite this, my father ignored the naysayers and gave me his full, confident support. He used to take me to a synthetic track located 35 km from our village at the crack of dawn every day for training. Later, to reduce travel time, my parents moved into a rented house closer to the facility to better support my training."
Rajarajan runs a shop selling mining equipment in Thiruvanathapuram, Keralam, which is around 120 kilometres from home.
Abinaya said the Tamil Nadu government's assistance scheme for elite athletes also played an important role in her journey, helping her buy sporting equipment and travel overseas for competitions.
She said many people in rural areas remain unaware of government schemes available to athletes and urged parents to encourage their daughters to take up sport.
"Parents should encourage their daughters to participate in sports. Sports instill self-confidence and courage," she said.
Abinaya developed an interest in running at a young age and won a 100m race at the zonal level, a victory that gave her confidence to pursue athletics seriously.
As competition became tougher, her father Rajarajan moved the family to Tirunelveli so she could access better training. From the ninth grade onwards, she progressed from state-level competitions to national and international events.
Over the past four years, Abinaya has travelled to 13 countries, winning more than 10 international medals and over 30 national medals.
Her Asian Games bronze has now added another significant chapter to a journey that began with defeats, doubts and a father's decision to keep believing.
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