Indian Athletes

In India, athletics is counted among the most popular form of sports and is played extensively throughout the country. India has so far produced several eminent athletes, who have excelled in the international arena. Indian athletes started playing in the international athletic meets for the first time in 1948, when they took part in the London Olympic Games. The Indian team comprised 8 athletes in the 1948 Olympics, out of which 6 were men and 2 women. It was also the first time that the Indian women athletes participated in the Olympic Games.

Since the 1948 Olympic Games, Indian athletes have shown considerable success in various international championships. Apart from the Olympics, they have excelled in the other prestigious championships like the Asian Games, World Championships, SAF Games etc. While showing great performances in the tournaments, Indian athletes have also won gold, silver and bronze medals for India.

Some of the most notable and prominent Indian female Athletes are P.T. Usha, Anju Bobby George, Alka Tomar, Anita Sood, Anjali Bhagwat, Anisa Sayyed, Anjum Chopra, Anuradha Biswal, Asha Agarwal, Ashwini Ponnappa, Ashwini Nachappa

P.T. Usha
P.T. Usha, regarded as queen of Indian track and field, has been associated with Indian athletics since 1979. Hailed as "Sprint Queen", "Golden Girl", "Payyoli Express", "Running Machine" and with many other salutary names, PT Usha is undoubtedly the greatest Indian Female athlete in the country has ever produced. She has inspired a generation of young women athletes, to flood the Indian scene and give women`s athletics direction and quality.

Geetika Jakhar
Geetika Jakhar is an Indian wrestler who has made India proud by winning the silver medal in the 63 kg category in Doha Asian Games in 2006. Geetika Jakhar has also won many national and international titles at a young age. Geetika Jakhar has also won the gold medal in the 63 kg weight category during the Commonwealth Championship in Canada in 2006. In the Rajiv Gandhi Gold Cup tournament held in New Delhi from August 16 to August 19, Geetika Jakhar became the winner amongst four hundred and fifty wrestlers from all over the country.

Geeta Rani
. Geeta Rani is a well known woman Indian weightlifter. Geeta won the gold medal in the Women`s +75 kg category at the Commonwealth Games in the year 2006. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, she was 4th in the Women`s +75 kg category. Geeta Rani has been awarded the Arjuna Award for her outstanding performance in sports.

Asha Agarwal
Asha Agarwal is a former Indian female athlete who has received much esteem for her brilliant performance in several sporting events. Asha Agarwal is a former Indian women marathon champion, who has received the highest prestigious award in Sports in India, the Arjuna Award. On January 27th in the year 1985, Asha Agarwal won the Hong Kong marathon. In September 1985, at the Asian Track and Field meet in Jakarta, Asha Agarwal won the gold at the Asian Track and Field in the tear 1985. Asha Agarwal is the first Indian woman to win marathon title in Asian Championships for the year 1985.

Premalata Agarwal
Premalata Agarwal is the oldest Indian woman to climb Mount Everest An enviable height of determination and a small tip from dad today made Premlata Agarwal the oldest Indian woman to ever conquer the Everest. She was the one to become the first woman from Jharkhand to scale the 29,029ft peak of Mount Everest.

Bachendri Pal
Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb the summit of Mount Everest. Bachendri Pal is a well known Indian female mountaineer who is 5th in the world to scale the Everest peak. She conquered the Mount Everest peak on 23rd May, 1984, at 1.07 p.m. as per the Indian Standard Time. She stood atop Mount Everest, also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali. Bachendri`s accomplishments as a mountaineer, empower and encourage women of all ages in India and across the world as well.

Krishna Poonia
Krishna Poonia is a renowned Indian discus thrower and a national woman champion from India. She won the women`s discus final at the Delhi Commonwealth Games on 11th October 2010 with a throw of 61.51 m. she received a gold medal for her exceptional performance. Krishna Punia, a woman national discus thrower, is the winner of gold medal in the 46th Open National athletics championships. In the year 2006, she won the bronze medal at the Asian Games held at Doha. In the Common Wealth Games of 2010 held in New Delhi Krishna Punia emerged as the first women to win a gold medal, making the nation proud. She led the discuss event clearing 61.5 metres. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in track and field events of Commonwealth games.

Seema Antil
Seema Antil is a renowned Indian discus thrower, achieved her personal best throw of 64.84 m in Kiev in August 2004. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Seema Antil performed brilliantly and won the silver medal. After acknowledging her talent the Haryana state government conferred her with Bhim Award on June 26, 2006. She did not participate at the Asian Games held in the year 2006, which attracted significant media attention. Seema Antil won another bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi.

Sathi Geetha
Sathi Geetha is reputed Indian sprinter who has attained expertise in the 400 metres relay. She was born on 5th July in the year 1983. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Geetha finished 7th in 4 x 400 metres relay. She participated along with her teammates Rajwinder Kaur, Chitra K. Soman and K. M. Beenamol. The 2004 Summer Olympics was held in Athens and the women`s 4x400 metres relay was one of the prime events of the athletics among 23 track events. At the Asian Championships held in the year 2005, Geetha also won a silver medal in a personal best time of 51.75 seconds.

Preeja Sreedharan
Preeja Sreedharan, an Indian athlete batched the gold medal in the 10000 meter event and silver in the 5000 metres in the Guangzhou Asian Games. Her win in the 10000 metres in 31:50:28 minutes is her personal best record. Currently this stands as the Indian National record. She has also represented India at the 2007 Asian athletics championships held in the Amman where she won silver medal in the 10000 metres where she finished 5th in the 5,000m as well as 10,000m races. In June 2008 she qualified for the Beijing Olympics.

Neelam Jaswant Singh
Neelam Jaswant Singh is a renowned Indian athlete discus thrower. Her personal best throw is 64.55 m. This best throw was achieved at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan. In an in-competition test, during the 2005 World Championships, She was tested positive for Pemoline, which is a banned stimulant. Neelam Jaswant Singh can easily be one of India`s most advancing personalities and vivid athletes. Her specialty is discus throwing. Neelam has advanced from a junior in 1986 and in to the seniors. She has been one of the most talented athletes in the country achieving several ranks and awards at international sports events.

Santhi Soundarajan
Santhi Soundarajan is a former Indian athlete who contended in the middle distance track events. She was born in April, 1981 in Kathakkurichi village, in Pudukkottai District of the state of Tamil Nadu. She was a versatile athlete in school, competing in field hockey, middle-distance running and javelin. In 2004, an engineering college in Chennai, the state`s biggest city, recruited Soundarajan with a scholarship to study computer technology. She was soon the college`s star performer.

Geeta Zutshi
Geeta Zutshi is a well known former Indian female athlete who was born on 2nd December 1956. In her credit Geeta Zutshi has constituted numerous national and Asian running records in track events of 800 m and 1500 m. Geeta Zutshi was trained and coached by conformist Mohammad Ilyas Babar. In the year 1978, Geeta won the women`s 800 m gold medal at the Asian Games held in Bangkok. She has won the silver medals for the 800 m track event in the year 1982. She has also won medals for the 1500 m in both the year 1978 and 1982. At the 1982 Asian Games, which was held at New Delhi, she, as the top Indian woman athlete avowed an oath on behalf of all the competitors. The event took place during the opening ceremony of the 1982 Asian Games.

Manathoor Devasia Valsamma
Manathoor Devasia Valsamma was born 29th October in the year1960. This Indian athlete was the third Indian woman who won the Gold medal at the Asian Games Valsamma who was nicknamed "Valsu", was born at Ottathai in Kannur district of Kerala. Her athletics career geared up during her school days. When she moved to Mercy College, Palakkad, for further studies, she took athletics more gravely. Her first medal came in the year 1979 and it was for Kerala in the 100 metres hurdles at the Inter-University Championship.

Jyotirmoyee Sikdar
Jyotirmoyee Sikdar won two Gold Medals and a Silver medal, in the 1998, Bangkok Asian Games, where she cheered up the nation, electrified the sagging morale of the participants and silenced the media criticism of the sports officials. The 29 year-old athlete returned home to be hailed as the `New Golden Girl` of India. Already an Arjuna Award winner (1995), she got the `Most Valued Performance Award` instituted by Samsung. There years later she became the first athlete to be honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1998).

Ashwini Nachappa
Ashwini Nachappa is a well known Indian athlete from Karnataka who became popular as the glory girl of Indian female sprinting in the early 80`s having beaten P.T. Usha. There were many great moments in her life, with regards to her achievements. Nachappa gained popularity during the 1980s after she outran P.T. Usha on two distinct events. Ashwini Nachappa received the esteemed Arjuna award in the year 1990. She has also been featured in some Telugu or Tollywood movies. Ashwini Nachappa is also renowned social worker and scholar and has also established a school.

Anju Bobby George
Anju Bobby George is an Indian athlete who made history when she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. Anju Bobby George became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics jumping 6.70 m. Anju Bobby George went on to win the silver medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005, a performance she considers her best.

Shiny Abraham
Shiny Abraham (Wilson) is a former Indian athlete who was the National Champion in 800 m for 14 long years. During 1980s, she won many gold medals at the Asian level and established various records. Shiny was one of Asia`s finest 400 m and 800 m contestants. She has represented India over 75 international competitions. A veteran of 4 Olympics, Shiny was declared the best woman athlete at the SAF games in Chennai in 1995. However, she was accused of changing lanes during the 800metres at the 1986 Asian games. Shiny Abraham admitted her mistake by making a frank and honest confession.

Indian Male Athletes played a most vital role in bringing the pride of India in the international levels. They shine in Olympics, Para Olympics and the Asian Games. Some of the notable Indian Male Athletes are Vikas Gowda, Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Suresh Babu, Vijay Singh Chauhan, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Hari Shankar Roy, Mohinder Singh Gill, Anil Singh, Shivnath Singh, Sriram Singh, Vijay Pal Singh, Anup Kumar Yama, Amit Kumar Saroha, Buddhia Singh and many other Indian Athletes.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is considered one of India`s most promising contemporary marksmen; and possesses the distinction of winning India`s first individual silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Shooting. Born in January 29, 1970 in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Atmore`s father is a Colonel in the Indian Army named Col. Laxman Singh Rathore and his mother Manju Rathore is a teacher.

Thadathuvila Chandapillai Yohannan
Thadathuvila Chandapillai Yohannan, the very famous athlete of India was born on 19th may 1947. T. C. Yohannan is always remembered for bringing a new dimension in the field of Long Jump in India. He started his career in the year 1974 and gave a brand new dimension in the Teheran Asian Games held in that year. He started to love the game of Athletics in his early childhood when he took part in the Inter-School Meets on behalf of the Ezhukone Panchayat in the year of 1964.

Manavjeet Singh Sidhu
Manavjeet Singh Sidhu, also known as Manavjeet Singh Sandhu, is a well known sport shooter from India who has gained expertise in trap shooting. He was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in the year 1998 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2006. Manavjeet Singh was honoured for his brilliant and consistent performance in sport shooting through the last few years. The individual gold and team silver at the 2006 World Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, was one of his top achievements. Manavjeet Singh Sidhu completed his education from the Lawrence School in Sanawar. He started his sport shooting career at a young age and was immensely inspired by Gurbir Singh Sandhu, his father. Gurbir Singh was also an ace shooter of international repute and a winner of the prestigious Arjuna Award.

Vikas Gowda
Vikas Gowda is amongst the most renowned Indian discus throwers. Vikas was born in Mysore and was brought up in Frederick, Maryland in the United States. His personal best throw was achieved in May 2007 in Salinas, which is 64.96 meters. He participated at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but couldn`t manage to reach to the finals. He also won a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Anil Kumar
Anil Kumar is a well known Indian discus thrower and his personal best throw is 64.37 m, which he attained in Szombathely in July 2007. Anil Kumar was born on 20th June 1975. Anil Kumar has participated at the Asian games of the year 1998 held at Bangkok, Thailand and he finished at the 2nd place. At the Asian Championship held in the year 2000 at the Djakrta, Indonesia, he has also participated and finished at the 1st position. In the year 2002, the Asian games held at Busan, South Korea, Anil Kumar has also taken part and came 3rd. At the Asian championships held at Manila, Philippines in the year 2003 he has participated and finished at 3rd position. He has also participated at the 2005 Asian Championships held in Incheon, South Korea and came at the 3rd position. In the same year he took part in the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, where he received the first prize.

Henry Rebello
. Henry Rebello is a world renowned Indian Triple jumper. He contended in independent India`s first Olympics participation which was held in London in 1948. Rebello was a genuine medal prospect, but his first leap in the final was damaged due to an injury. In the year 1980, he retired as a Group Captain from the Indian Air Force.

Gopal Saini
Gopal Saini, a former athlete of India, still holds national record in men 3000 meter Steeplechase event held at Tokyo in the year 1981 with timing of 8.30.88 minutes. He originally hails from Rajasthan. In the year 1981, he was conferred Arjuna award, which is the highest prestigious award in the field of sports and of course the most desired award for the players, for their achievements.

Sriram Singh
Sriram Singh was born on 14th November in the year 1948 in Badnagar, Rajasthan. This Indian middle distance runner, Sriram Singh joined Rajputana Rifles in the year 1968. In the Rajputana Rifles he came under the influence of the coach Ilyas Babar. It was Babar who swayed him to shift his focus from 400m to 800m. Sriram Singh was a middle distance runner who gained substantial fame in the athletics world. His time remained as an Asian record till the year 1994 and an Indian record till 2007. He had retired as an honorary captain from Indian army and later joined Sports Authority of India as a coach.

K P Thomas
K P Thomas an ex-athlete, mentor and coach is lovingly called Thomas Master .K P Thomas trains one hundred and seventy young athletes all for free in his school in Koruthode in Kerala . He has been involved with training and coaching ever since be bid adieu to professional athleticism. His career has moved on from sportsman to being a coach. He has been a source of inspiration for many young athletes and his guidance has been of immense help for upcoming talents.

Jayant Talukdar
Jayanta Talukdar is a well known and reputed archer from India. He was born in the year 1987 and has become one of the most prominent names in the field of Indian Archery. Talukdar hails from Guwahati from where he was picked up by archery coaches at a talent hunting camp. At a training camp in Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur, he came first among 50 boys thus impressing the coaches with his physical strength and focused attitude. He soon found his place in the Junior National Archery team of India.

Vijay Kumar
Vijay Kumar is a renowned Indian sport shooter, who won two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. At the event, he won gold for the individual 25 m rapid-fire pistol competition and the pairs` competition with Pemba Tamang in the same event. He won a bronze medal in the 2006 Asian Games, even though he became fourth in the competition. In 2007, at the Asian Championship, Vijay Kumar finished second in 25 m center fire pistol. At the 2009 ISSF World Cup Beijing, he won a silver medal in rapid fire pistol, after he was beaten by 0.1 points by Keith Sanderson. Kumar won 3 gold medals and one silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi. For his great accomplishments in the field of sport shooting, he was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 5the year 2007. Vijay Kumar has the credit of winning 24 gold medals, 8 silver medals and 24 bronze in different national shooting events.

Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan
Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan is a well known athlete and sportsperson from India. He was born on 2nd September in the year 1974. Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan participated in the Men`s Seated Discus Throw EAD at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The 2006 Commonwealth Games were conducted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was held from 15th March 2006 to 26th March 2006. The sporting tournament was perhaps the biggest sporting event to take place in Melbourne. Discus Throw is a track and field athletics competition event where an athlete throws a heavy disc known as discus, in an effort to mark a farther distance than competitors. Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games with a throw of 29.88 meters.

Norman Gilbert Pritchard
Norman Gilbert Pritchard, also known as Norman Trevor, was the first athlete from India to take part in the Olympic Games. The well known Indian athlete also featured in several films in Hollywood and Broadway shows. Norman Pritchard was originally a British and permanently went to England in the year 1905. He was born on 23rd June 1875 in Kolkata to the parents George Petersen Pritchard and Helen Maynard Pritchard. He has studied at the St Xaviers College, Kolkata. He made the first hat-trick in an open football tournament in the country in a match for Saint Xavier`s against Sovabazar in July 1897. During his early life, Norman Gilbert Pritchard was employed as an accountant and resided in Alipore.

Sabir Ali
Sabir Ali, is a former athlete of India, who has won a silver medal in javelin throw in the first SAF games held in Kathmandu in the year1984. After acknowledging the outstanding performance of Sabir Ali, Indian Government in the year 1981, conferred him the highest prestigious sports award, the Arjuna award. He originally hails from Maharashtra state.

Makhan Singh
Makhan Singh was born on 1st July in the year 1937. In Bathulla village situated in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, he was born. He was one of the renowned Indian athletes of the 60s. As a result of his famous victories over Milkha Singh at the 1964 National Games held in Kolkata, he became famous. In National Games, he has won a number of gold medals. In the 1962 Asian Games, he has represented his native country. Makhan Singh died on January 21 in the year 2002.

In the year 1959, he won a Bronze in the National Games held at Cuttack. That was his first taste of success. In the following year, he then hit the high spots with the National Games held at Delhi. He won gold in the short sprint and Silver in the 300 metres at the tournament. With this success he was to continue in following time the National Games. In the year 1960, he has won a Gold and a Silver at Madras, 4 Gold at Jabalpur in the year 1962 and 2 Gold and one Silver at Trivandrurn in the year 1963. His greatest triumph is considered to be the 1964 National Games held in Calcutta. In the tournament apart from scoring a stunning win over Milkha, he picked up four Gold Medals for an impressively personal tally. In the 1962 Asian Games held in Jakarta, he represented India. He won relay gold in 4 x 400 metres and a Silver in the 400 metres at the tournament.

Chetan Anand Buradagunta
Chetan Anand Buradagunta is a popular Indian badminton player, and considered as one of the next best talent after Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and Pullela Gopichand. He had been extremely successful in badminton and won National Badminton champion four times in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He possesses the career best ranking of no. 11, though his ranking dropped to 54 since October 2010 as a result of ankle injury. Chetan is also a proud recipient of Arjuna Award.

K M Binu
K.M. Binu, born as Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Binu, is a track and field athlete from Kerala, India and he specialises in the 400 and 800 m events. He holds the present 400 m national record of 45.48 s which was achieved at the Athens Olympics on 20th August 2004. Binu broke the 44-year-old Indian National Record that was set by Milkha Singh with a timing of 45.73 s at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He is the brother of renowned sports person K. M. Beenamol and the siblings won medals in a major international competition at the Busan Asian Games, 2002. K.M. Binu won the men`s 800 m silver medal and his sister won the gold medal in the women`s event. He was born on 20th December 1980 in Idukki district, Kerala. K.M. Binu, for his commendable performances, he has received the Arjuna Award in 2006, the country`s highest sports award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in the year 2002.

Devendra Jhajharia
Devendra Jhajharia is the first ever gold medalist at the Paralympics from India. Jhajharia is a one armed javelin thrower from Churu District in Rajasthan. In his childhood, he had lost his left hand in an accident. At a very young age, Devendra met a mishap while climbing the tree. In the tree he did not notice an electric wire and touched it and the Doctors had to amputate his left arm as it was badly burnt.

Rajwinder Kaur
Rajwinder Kaur is a well known sprinter from India who has attained expertise in the 400 m track event. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Kaur finished 7th in the 4 x 400 m relay together with team mates K. M. Beenamol, Chitra K. Soman and Sathi Geetha. The team had set a national record of 3:26.89 minutes, with Manjeet Kaur running in place of Sathi Geetha. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Kaur also ran for the Indian team and won a silver medal at the tournament. Her personal best time is achieved in June 2004 in Chennai, which is in 400m and is achieved in 51.57 seconds.

Dalip Singh
Dalip Singh is a well known athlete who was the first sportsperson to represent India at the Olympics. He was also a good hockey player. He also owns the pride of being the first person from India who became the torchbearer at the inaugural Asian Games held at Delhi in the year 1951.