I am game for Dani challenge, says Poonia

Commonwealth Games gold medalist Krishna Poonia on Thursday said she will reveal her plans regarding the proposed $20,000 winner-takes-all discus throw duel between her and world champion Dani Samuels on Tuesday.

Samuels' coach Hayden Knowles had proposed to hold the contest on January 22 at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre as part of Pirtek Athletic All-stars Meet.

"We will reveal it on October 26. But I am ready for any challenge. I was ready here also in Delhi but she didn't come. Now if the federation and my coach permit I am game for it," the 33-year-old said.

The discus throw Meet is billed as athletics counterpart of Twenty20 cricket with celebrities from Hollywood and athletics world taking part.

Poonia burst into the limelight after becoming the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win a Commonwealth gold medal in 52 years and the Indian said she would look to better her own record of 63.69 to win the gold in the Asian Games.

"I will be fighting for the gold medal in the Asian Games. I am targeting 64m in the Asiad as I do attain that distance in my training," Poonia said.

"I could have done 64m in CWG also but I had an injury in my knee and didn't want to aggravate it. I was saving myself for Asiad," she added.

The 33-year-old admitted there is an amount of pressure on her after the Commonwealth gold medal performance but said she would take it as a challenge.

"There is pressure but I am talking positively so that I can convert this challenge into a good show," she said.

Poonia threw 61.51m to become the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win a Commonwealth gold medal in 52 years and also the first Indian woman to win a CWG gold.