Priti Lamba adds years to ailing father’s lifeline
Rohit Mahajan
Hangzhou, October 3
Jagbir Lamba of village Jawan in Faridabad, not yet 60, doesn’t expect to live long — an accident in his youth led to surgery on his chest and throat, and a difficult life full of challenges. He doesn’t expect to live long — and he fears oblivion, like the rest of us, and wishes to have his shot at memorability through his daughter. The daughter, Priti Lamba, has given him hope for that, and also the hope of lasting over 60 years, maybe even 65.
When I called him, he cried and said that this medal had boosted his life by five-six years. Priti Lamba
He was crying with happiness when Priti called him after winning bronze in the women’s steeplechase on Monday night.
“Earlier, before I won the medal, before I could even qualify for the Asiad, he would say that he’s quite old now and just wants to see me compete at the Asian Games before he died,” said Priti. But after Priti made it to the Asian Games, as a late qualifier, Jagbir’s hopes began to rise — he now wanted a medal from her before he died.
Laughing, Priti said: “He then told me: ‘Beti, ab tujhe medal laate huye dekhna hai (Now I want to see you win a medal)!’”
And on Monday night, when she did win a medal, he’s hopeful of a longer life, maybe five more years. “When I called him, he cried and said that this medal had boosted his life by five-six years,” said Priti, who says her father is ‘57 to 60 years’ old.
Priti thinks that dad will now start dreaming of her in the Olympics, even winning a medal next year in Paris. She said with a laugh, “I think he will start speaking about the Olympics tomorrow!”
