'Sacrificing Aloo Paratha' - Kamalpreet Kaur's pursuit of the Olympic dream!

India's discus throw star Kamalpreet Kaur has reached the Tokyo 2020 final after a good show in the qualification round on Saturday.

But she did so after cutting down consumption of her favourite food items, which included aloo ke parathe (potato-stuffed Indian bread). She would often insist her long-time coach Rakhi Tyagi to cook scrumptious meals for her post training. But that has changed over the years.

"When Kamalpreet (Kaur) was younger, she liked to eat a lot. Aloo paratha, paneer ki sabji (Cottage Cheese) and rice are among her favourites. She would always ask me to prepare this and that for her. I used to prepare for her," Tyagi told Olympics.com.

"She used to eat around 7-8 parathas earlier but it has now reduced to three or four," she added.

Kaur now consults of some of the finest dieticians, who ensure that she maintains proper protein intake, with the support of GoSports Foundation.

Moreover, her coach is of the opinion that she is stronger than many of her competitor and can breach the 65m mark in the women's discus throw event at Tokyo 2020. It should be noted that Kaur has a National Record of 66.59m and can emulate the feat on Monday.

She has already thrown 64m in the qualification that secured her an automatic spot in the final.

"We started our diet plan, to increase her protein intake. We have maintained our diet chart since then, Being a vegetarian also, we never felt that our body doesn't have enough strength," Tyagi said.

"I think Kamalpreet can breach the 65m mark in the final event at Tokyo 2020."

Kaur was, however, under a little pressure ahead of her maiden appearance at an Olympic women's discus throw qualification event. But her best effort of 64m not only helped her gain confidence but also earned plaudits from some of the athletes at Tokyo 2020 Games village.

"She called me after qualifying and told me that 'I was a little scared not to commit any fouls'. After that she gained confidence and didn't let any pressure get on her. She met a lot of athletes there and even they congratulated her for her performance. That boosted her confidence.

"I've told her to stay focused. Avoid the media (before final) because I don't want her to lose focus. I have asked her to achieve her maximum target first. I just wish her to give her best and stay relaxed.

"I've not put any pressure on her. I had just asked her to qualify with an easy throw, no need of any aggression. She did well then I continued to speak to her throughout the day. I told her to keep herself motivated and give her best at the final," she added.

Tyagi also believes that Kaur is an athlete who can dominate in women's discus throw event for years to come.

"I surely think that after giving her best at Tokyo 2020, she can get medals at 2024 and 2028 too. We have prepared her that way and she is young. With age, she would develop more strength and experience. This is only her first time at the Olympics," Tyagi believes.

It will be upon the 25-year-old now to live up to the coach's and country's expectations at Tokyo 2020.