Pesky media reduces gold medalist Poonia to tears

Ever since Krishna Poonia won a gold medal in discuss throw at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, she has become a centre of attention. But the focus seems to have given the champion more grief than happiness.

"I have been facing a barrage of questions about my son from the media during the last two days and since I am an emotional person, it hurts me a lot," Poonia said in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"They (media) keep on bringing up the emotional angle and keep repeating the same thing -- questions about my son from whom I have been away for many years due to training," she said with tears welling up in her eyes.

The Rajasthan girl is married to coach Virender Poonia and has a nine-year-old son Lakshya.

The sportswoman has been hogging the headlines for the last two days for her very special achievement -- it is only the second gold for India in athletics after Milkha Singhs's 440 yard race triumph in the 1958 Games and she is the first woman in the country to win the yellow metal in athletics in a quadrennial event.

As expected, news reports have been waxing eloquent, with some sections of the media even labeling her a "supermom". However, all these pesky queries have drained her emotionally.

"If you keep the emotional part aside, I will be more than happy to answer all your questions," was her advice to some newshounds who kept prodding her to speak about her son and family.

After winning the medal, Poonia had spoken about the sacrifices she had to make to win a medal.

"It was extremely tough. If you have a small child you will know it. My husband (Virender) and I have not been with our son (Lakshya) for a month at a stretch because of our hectic training schedule which include foreign tours," Poonia had said after her medal ceremony.