Olympic Kaurs

Did you know several Kaurs competed in the Olympics this year! Their athleticism, poise, and skill is incredible. Be sure to check out their events and interviews on YouTube!

Kamalpreet Kaur - Discus

AP Photo via Times of India

Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur (from Punjab) finished sixth in her first Olympics with a best throw of 63.70m in the finals on Monday, Aug 2 - making her the first Indian woman to touch the 64-metre mark at the Olympics.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"I didn't know about a lot of sports growing up," said Kamalpreet. "In school, my coach said my height and build made me a good candidate for discus."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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“She will continue practice in future," said Kamalpreet's father. "She performed well, played till last round.... I am thankful to God for taking her to this level."⠀⠀⠀

Field Hockey Kaurs

For the first time ever, the Indian Women's Field Hockey Team reached the Olympic semi-finals! Sadly, they lost to UK on Aug 5.
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Here are the Kaurs on the team!

Gurjit Kaur  - India's PC specialist and deep defender. The only one in the current team who takes drag flicks.
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Rajwinder Kaur - says she takes inspiration from team captain Rani Rampal’s struggles and is determined to bring her family out of poverty with her sporting achievements.⠀

Navneet Kaur  - One of the smartest players on this team, Navneet makes the most of whatever little space you give her.

Navjot Kaur - A bundle of energy, Navjot prefers playing down the flanks. Her speed enables her to cover the width of the pitch.

Manpreet Kaur - understands the need to adapt quickly. "You are surrounded by all the experienced players on and off the field, so there is so much to learn every day."

Simranjit Kaur - Boxing

Simranjit Kaur. Photo via Olympics.com

26 year old boxer Simranjit Kaur made it to the Olympic pre-quarterfinals in Tokyo. She is the first woman from Punjab to participate in the Olympics as a boxer! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Kaur has been representing India since 2011, when she won a bronze medal at the Junior Women National Boxing Championship in Patiala. At the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, she won bronze. In 2019, Kaur won a gold medal in the President’s Cup International Boxing Tournament. Last year, she clinched her spot for the Tokyo Olympics winning silver at the qualifiers.⠀⠀⠀

Initially, Simranjit Kaur was not as inclined towards boxing like the rest of her family. She was taken to the ring by her elder sister, who used to train, and was finally encouraged by her mother, Rajpal Kaur, a boxing enthusiast, to pursue the sport.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"My mother wasn't able to pursue sports because of family obligations," said Simranjit. "So, it was her dream that if she had daughters, she would put them in sports." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Gurpreet Sohi - Water Polo

Gurpreet Sohi. Photo via GoStanford.com

Gurpreet Sohi is a Canadian water polo player from British Columbia. She is a member of the Canada women's national water polo team who participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Gurpreet started playing water polo at age 9 and joined the national youth team at age 14. Outside the pool, she enjoys doing the New York Times crosswords, sewing, water skiing, and snowboarding. Her favorite motto is, “Pressure is a privilege".⠀⠀

We hope this is just the beginning of many more Kaurs and Sikh women competing in the Olympics!⠀⠀⠀⠀