Feels great to be part of Asian Games gold winning team, says Bharti Fulmali

For Bharti Fulmali, there is no comparison between Women’s Asia Cup title and Asian Games gold as both hold special place

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Sept 23, 2026

SELDOM it happens in international sports that a team takes top perch twice in space of 10 days. The Indian women’s cricket team won the Women’s Asia Cup T20 title in Dubai and 10 days later, claimed the Asian Games gold medal in Japan.

On both the occasions, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side decim

ated Sri Lankan women to emerge 

victors and become continental 

champions.

For Vidarbha’s Bharti Fulmali, who was part of historic victories, both titles have special place and can’t be compared with each other. The hard-hitting batter said winning the gold in multi sport event was a completely different experience.

“Both — Women’s Asia Cup T20 title and Asian Games gold are very special. They are special for different reasons. The Asia Cup is a very prestigious tournament in cricket, while winning gold at the Asian Games and being part of a multi-sport event was a completely different experience. So, I wouldn’t really compare them. I feel fortunate to have experienced both and contributed to both victories,” Bharti said while talking exclusively with ‘The Hitavada’ from Japan after India crushed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.

Bharti, who will be turning 32 in October, was happy that the team defeated same opponent in two different finals in less than a fortnight.

“It feels really special. Whenever you play the same opposition twice in a short period, they know your strengths and weaknesses and you know theirs as well. So, to perform well again and come out on top shows the consistency and confidence within our team. More than anything, I’m really happy with the way the whole team contributed,” she stated.

After Asia Cup victory, the team was high on confidence and believed in themselves. They never got complacent and but focussed on doing the basics well.

“We definitely believed in ourselves, but we weren’t thinking about winning by a particular margin. The focus was on doing the basics well, starting strongly and maintaining the intensity throughout the game. Once we got momentum, everyone kept pushing, and fortunately everything came together really well. The result was obviously very pleasing,” said Bharti about the golden victory.

For the right-handed batter, it was a fantastic and learning experience being part of the multi-sport event.

“It was a fantastic experience. Playing cricket is one thing, but being part of the Asian Games Village and being around athletes from so many different sports was something completely new for me. You get to see how athletes from different disciplines prepare, compete and handle pressure. It was a great learning experience, and I’m really grateful that I got the opportunity,” said Bharti who has played 15 T20 Internationals for India.

Apart from learning various aspects of the game, the biggest positive for Bharti from this Asian Games was the confidence she gained while playing on big platforms.

“The biggest positive for me is the confidence that comes from performing on big occasions. These tournaments also taught me the importance of staying in the present and trusting the preparation. Being surrounded by experienced players and competing at this level gives you a lot of learning, both as a player and as a person. I gained a lot,” she said.

The lanky batter said there is always a scope of improvement and she would like to improve her consistency and fitness level.

“There is always room for improvement. I would like to become more consistent and keep developing different aspects of my game, especially under pressure. I also want to keep improving my fitness and fielding because those are areas where you can always get better. The aim is to keep learning and contribute to the team in whatever role is required,” she explained.

Indian women team’s fielding was not up to the mark in Japan and Bharti felt that the team will have to work on improving small moments.

“The fielding is something that can always improve. It comes down to repetition, intensity and taking pride in those small moments. We have a lot of talented athletes in the team and if we continue to work consistently on catching, ground fielding, throwing and movement, we can keep raising the standard. The important thing is to make those skills work automatic under pressure,” the Amravati native cricketer said. The response from the Japanese spectators surprised Bharti and she said events like Asian Games is a great way to promote cricket.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the response. 

“There was genuine curiosity and excitement whenever people came to watch us. Some spectators were experiencing cricket for the first time, so it was nice to see them getting involved and enjoying the game. I think events like the Asian Games are a great way to introduce cricket to new audiences, and it was wonderful to be part of that,” Bharti signed off.

City’s Rashmi wins 3rd successive powerlifting gold medal for India

By Paritosh Pramanik 

NAGPUR, CITYLINE, Sept 16, 2026

CITY’S powerlifter Rashmi Ganesh Iyer once again proved her mettle as she claimed her third successive gold medal for India at the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) Championship, held in Manchester, England.

Participating in the 67.5 kg Open Category, Rashmi delivered an outstanding performance, lifting an impressive total of 282.5 kgs to secure her third consecutive World Championship yellow metal.

Rashmi’s gold digging effort started in 2024 when she won her maiden championship at kyrgyzstan. She doubled her tally with another gold at the 2025 championship in South Africa. 

The National Anthem was played for third successive time with Rashmi taking top perch on the podium a few days ago at Manchester.

This historic hat-trick of World Championship golds is a testament to Rashmi’s hard work, discipline, dedication, consistency and unwavering determination to represent India at the highest level.

Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’ from Abu Dhabi, from where she will board a midnight flight for Bengaluru followed by another afternoon flight for Nagpur on Thursday, Rashmi said she is delighted and will cherish all the three (gold winning) moments for life. “Winning three World Championship gold medals is an incredibly emotional and satisfying feeling. My chest swelled with pride with the gold medal dangling around my neck. Each gold has its own story and its own struggle. So, I cherish all three equally.”

Rashmi, mother of a 14-year-old son Swayam, said the Manchester Championship was the toughest of all three.

“If I have to pick one, I would say Manchester 2026 was the toughest. The competition level has gone up globally, especially when you compete with world’s toughest team like Australia, Ireland, Great Britain. The expectations were higher as a two-time defending champion. The pressure to make India proud for the third time was immense. So defending the title and winning it again makes this one the most special and satisfying of all three,” stated the powerlifter.

In the competition, which was hosted by the British Powerlifting Union, around 450 athletes from over 20 countries participated in various age and weight categories. India was represented by 10 athletes out of which six won gold medals and one silver. It was a tough ask for Rashmi as she was contesting in a higher weight category. “The competition was extremely tough. This year, I moved to higher weight category and competed in 67.5 kg section. To win gold, I had to lift 12.5 kgs extra from last year which I managed,” said Rashmi, who trains under Bengaluru based coach Mohd Azmat and travels to the South ern city every month for specialised coaching from him. Rashmi underwent intense training for this world championship. “My preparation had been very intense and disciplined over last several months. I followed a strict programme focusing on strength building, technique correction, and recovery. It was two hours of training daily, with a very strict diet and no compromises. Mentally, I was visualising this moment every single day - standing on the podium with the Indian flag,” she narrated her daily schedule. The build-up for the event was not easy and was challenging too.

“The journey to Manchester was not easy. Balancing training, managing injuries, maintaining weight category, doing daily family chores, arranging finance for travel and logistical challenges of preparing for an international championship were all the major hurdles. “There were days when my body wanted to give up, but my dream to make India proud kept me going. I am thankful to my coach and my family who stood by me through every challenge,” Rashmi signed off.

After Asia Cup triumph, Fulmali ready for ‘different challenge’ at Asiad

By Patitosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Sept 14

A DAY after winning her maiden Women’s Asia Cup title, Vidarbha all-rounder Bharti Fulmali has set her sights on the forthcoming Asian Games in Japan which is going to be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

Fulmali was elated to be part of the Indian team which defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to lift the 8th Asia Cup on Sunday in Dubai.

“It was really a special experience for me because it was my first Asia Cup and winning the trophy made it even more memorable. Personally, I learned a lot from so many experienced players in the side,” Fulmali told ‘The Hitavada’ in an exclusive interview from Dubai on Monday.

Though the hard-hitter batter Fulmali spent limited time in the middle, she said her role in the team is of a finisher and she always tries to deliver as per the expectations of the team.

“I’m happy with whatever opportunity I get. My focus is always on contributing to the team and making the most of my chances. I understand my role in the team. Whenever I get those few balls, I want to play to my strengths. One area I want to keep improving is making the most of every scoring opportunity, especially when I get a ball in my zone, and converting those opportunities into valuable runs,” she explained.

“I’m quite comfortable with the position I’m batting at (No 5 or 6). I understand that my role is more towards the finishing side, so sometimes I may get only a few balls to face. For me, the important thing is to stay prepared for that moment and make those balls count. Wherever the team wants me to bat, I’m happy to do that,” she added.

The 31-year-old Amravati lass wanted to be more positive and clear in her approach.

“I want to be a little more positive and clear in my approach. I also want to get better at identifying the right balls to attack and making the most of every scoring opportunity,” she mentioned.

On not accepting the winners trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi, Fulmali said the team followed BCCI’s guidelines.

“That was a decision taken at the BCCI level. As players, our focus throughout the tournament was on cricket and on winning the Asia Cup. We followed whatever decision was communicated to us by the BCCI,” she stated.

Going into the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, Fulmali wants to remain confident. 

“Going into the Asian Games, the focus will be on staying confident, being clear about my role and executing it better.”

“It will definitely be a different challenge because the conditions in Japan will be new for us. At the same time, we will face some similar opponents that we played against in the Asia Cup, so that experience will definitely help us. We know the expectations will be high after winning the Asia Cup, but our approach will remain the same — take one game at a time, respect every opponent and focus on executing our plans. We’ll try our best to carry the same confidence and momentum into the Asian Games,” she said.

Fulmali said the new pitches will pose a different challenge but the team will accept it.

“The pitches and conditions will be completely new for the team. We don’t know exactly how the wickets will behave until we get there and spend some time. 

“But that is also part of the challenge and I’m really looking forward to it. The important thing will be to assess the conditions quickly, communicate well as a team and adapt accordingly,” she signed off.