3 min readKolkataFeb 27, 2026 05:15 PM IST
Asian Games gold medallist and heptathlete Swapna Barman joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday, ahead of the Bengal assembly elections.
“I am inspired by the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The way she rose from the grassroots and elevated Bengal to its present stature is something rarely possible elsewhere,” Barman said.
The 29-year-old joined the TMC in the presence of Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State, Finance and Health and Family Welfare, Education Minister Bratya Basu, and Goutam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, at Trinamool Bhavan in Kolkata.
“I have been motivated by the various schemes and initiatives Mamata Banerjee has implemented for the people of Bengal. I feel this will be a big platform for me to work for the people, and that is why I decided to join the party,” Barman added.
Born in Ghoshpara village near Jalpaiguri in North Bengal, Barman won the gold at the Asian Games in 2018 and stood first in Heptathlon at the Asian Athletics Championship in 2017. She also received the Arjuna Award in 2019.
“She has made the country proud on the international stage. Swapna’s journey from Ghoshpara village near Jalpaiguri to becoming an international sporting champion is a testament to the indomitable spirit of Bengal’s youth,” Bhattacharya said.
“Born into a Rajbongshi family facing economic hardships, she rose above every obstacle through sheer determination and hard work to conquer the Asian stage and make India proud. As a woman, I would like to thank and congratulate her for choosing the right party, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC),” Bhattacharya added.
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Basu also praised Barman for her many sporting achievements, saying she has brought “immense glory to our nation and our state through her extraordinary achievements against all odds”.
“AITC is the only place for her. The contrast between AITC’s treatment of sportspersons and the BJP’s shameful record could not be starker. We have the examples of Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who sat on the road of the national capital to protest against BJP leader and the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan,” Basu added, pointing out how the sportspersons were ill-treated.
“…the BJP government had them dragged by police, their protest site dismantled, and their voices suppressed. BJP not only did not take/initiate any actions against Brij Bhushan but also gave a ticket to his son in the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. This is the BJP’s real face toward sportspersons,” Basu said.
