‘Holding Indian flag abroad gives you happiness, but it hasn’t gotten me a job’: Jharkhand Adivasi athlete who won Wushu bronze in China

The 30-year-old Purnima, one of 20 players from India, is an old Wushu hand, having earlier won two medals at the championships – a silver in 2007 in Lucknow and another bronze in 2023 in Moscow, Russia. Her bronze this year was in two categories: one for swordplay, or Nandao, and another for bare-handed routines.

“I didn’t quite know what was happening then,” she says. “All I knew was it was something good. That kept me going.”

“I’m so proud. I feel like every sacrifice I’ve ever made has now paid off,” she tells The Indian Express.

The daughter of an Anganwadi worker and a daily wager, Purnima was first introduced to wushu at her village missionary school. Encouraged by nuns, she took up Sanda (contact sparring), one of two Kungfu disciplines, and won her first national title in Class 4 at Chandigarh. Her reward: a cheque of Rs 10,000.

“I didn’t quite know what was happening then,” she says. “All I knew was it was something good. That kept me going.”

In 2023 – 50 national titles and a silver medal later – she switched to Taolu (choreographed routines) because “it had more opportunities.”

What makes her latest feat remarkable is the limited preparation time she had. This July, Purnima, who has a graduation and post-graduation from the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala (NISIS), completed her one-year Diploma in Sports Coaching from the same institute – leaving her exactly a month before her qualifiers in Manipur on August 27. Despite training on her own, she sailed through.

Asked about her diet, she laughs. “Protein and nutrients? We don’t have those words in our dictionary. I’ve built my strength through rural survival.”

Back home, barring the welcome she received in her village, Purnima’s accomplishment has gone largely unnoticed. There have been no commendations from government representatives, no cameras, and no calls for interviews. Behind her, a large white banner with a photo of her holding the Tricolour and reading “Congratulations to Purnima Linda!” flutters in the wind.

“Local MLA Suresh Baitha invited me to his residence to honour me with a garland and a shawl, but no one from the government has given this any attention,” she says.

Yet, Purnima is vocal about how attention to sports in India is uneven. “When I won silver in Lucknow against Pakistan, people celebrated. But this time, at an event with 54 countries, that excitement was missing. It shows how nationalism often appears selectively, depending on the opponent,” she says.

In China, she noticed how differently athletes are treated. “Each player had a personal coach. The honesty and respect they showed were truly commendable,” she says.

But Purnima has little time to dwell on this. With the house running on the Rs 4,000 her mother earns as an Anganwadi worker and her father’s health declining, she now has one focus: to find a government job. But none has been forthcoming.

“Though holding the Indian flag in a foreign land gives you happiness, it still hasn’t gotten me a job,” she says.

Still, she hopes this will change soon and awaits results of a recruitment examination she took last year. Wushu, she says, has reshaped her identity. “It breaks gender norms and boosts confidence, countering the stereotype that Adivasi women are shy.”

Until she gets a job, she counts on the woman who has always stood by her. “My mother has been my partner in my journey. From selling Hadia (rice beer) in the community market to working as a Sevika in the village, she’s always helped me continue my dreams,” says Purnima, hoping she can now give this back.

Says her mother Manju Kachhap: “I felt such pride that I danced when she arrived at the railway station after the victory.”