This 8-yr-old world record-holder wonder kid aspires to become Olympic Champion

The number of young Indian athletes seemingly on the precipice of big achievements in sports appears to be at its highest level in recent memory. The gleaming promise shown by the 18-year-old Hima Das in clocking a world-class 50.79s to win silver in the 400m event at the Asian Games certainly made the Athletics Federation aim big. Eight-year-old Pooja Bishnoi is the latest sensation to join the list of young athletes, barely in her teenage years and showing that her early success is no fluke. 

Hailing from a small village in Jodhpur, Pooja aspires to become an Olympic champion in the 2024 Games. Pooja has recently scripted a world-record of covering a distance of 3km in just 12.50 minutes in the under-10 age category.

She is currently supported by the Virat Kohli Foundation that she believes inspires her to work and train even harder. The foundation bears her daily expenses of travel, nutrition, training, etc. She considers her maternal uncle and coach Sarwan Budiya as a source of inspiration. Incidentally, young Pooja is Asia’s first-ever girl to have six-pack abs at a young age of eight, which determines her passion for climbing newer heights in the field of athletics. 

“What a truly wonderful night. Met a lot of talented people, bollywood and sports celebrities at @indiasportshonours2019. It’s a matter of pride for me that I am getting support from @vkofficial (sic),” Pooja wrote in an Instagram post. With the flamboyant Pooja leaving no stones unturned to achieve milestones in life, a golden girl in athletics might just be on the horizon, who knows? Youngsters like Pooja come with a certain depth of talent that has sports fans in the country very excited about the future of the athletics ecosystem in India.