Double joy: BU student wins 7 gold medals, delivers baby on same day

I feel happy. It makes me double down on the belief that hard work bears fruit. If we make up our minds, we can learn in any situation. Everything depends on our effort — Keerti Neginhal said while resting on her hospital bed

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: It was twice the joy for the MA Kannada topper at the Government First Grade College, Keerti Neginhal as she bagged seven gold medals, a cash prize, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Monday. She, along with another student, won a record seven gold medals at Bangalore University’s 57th convocation.

Neginhal said that she had been delighted that her academic success and personal joy had coincided, adding that she couldn’t attend the convocation ceremony since she had been admitted to a city hospital ahead of her delivery. The couple hasn’t named the baby girl yet. “I feel happy. It makes me double down on the belief that hard work bears fruit,” Keerti said, even as she rested on her hospital bed. She revealed that she had set aside two options for her career.

“I want to become a professor. Also, I want to prepare for competitive exams and become a KAS officer,” she added. Neginhal said that her experience at the college had been good, despite the pandemic causing disruptions in the form of lockdowns.

“It was a good experience. People say those who want to learn will learn anywhere and under any circumstance. It is true. Online classes worked just fine for me. It wasn’t necessary for me to go to college every day. If we make up our minds, we can learn in any situation. Everything depends on our effort,” she added.

The gold medallist said that she had a fondness for Kannada literature from the very beginning. She added that the tenth-century poets Adikavi Pampa, Ranna, 13thcentury litterateur Janna, Kannada icon Kuvempu, DR Bendra, Shivaram Karanth and Girish Karnad were only some of her favourite authors, adding that all of them had “unique” writing styles.

Her husband Basavaraj said that he too had been delighted at the joy of both the academic success his wife had attained coupled their baby girl’s birth. “She gave birth to a baby girl. She was also supposed to receive seven gold medals along with the university’s top rank, which I received on her behalf,” he said.