Geeta Zutshi , Indian Athlete

Geeta Zutshi, a famous Indian women athlete on her credit, has constituted several national and Asian running records in the track events of 800 m and 1500 m. Conformist Mohammad Ilyas Babar was the coach of Geeta Zutshi. 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. It took place during the opening ceremony of the 1982 Asian Games.

Acknowledging her contribution to Indian Sports, Indian Government conferred Geeta Zutshi the highest prestigious sports award, The Arjuna Award and one of the highest civilion award, the Padma Shri. Her achievements has inspired other Indian women too. Geeta Zutsi later shifted to USA. She returned to India in July, 2002, that is after 17 years and took over the Indian junior athletics team as a coach (800m and 1500m).

(Last Updated on : 25/11/2008)

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Jyotirmoyee Sikdar , Indian Athlete

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).

Born in December 1969 in Debogram a town in Nadia district in West Bengal, Jyotirmoyee began her athletics career as a worthy successor to Shiny Abraham in the 800 metres but extended her area or excellence to the 400 and 1,500 metres as well. With the help of her father, a retired pole-vaulter, she built up her stamina by running through the fields and simultaneously completing her graduation in physiology.

Jyotirmoyee made her national debut with a Silver Medal in 800 metres at the All-India Open Meet in 1992. A Gold medal in the Open Nationals of the following year earned her a berth to the 1993 South Asian Federation (SAF) Games at Dhaka where she picked up a Silver in the 1,500 metres. With a Gold at the Singapore Open in 1993, she went on to break the national mark in the 1,500 metres at the National Athletics Meet in 1994. In the trials for the Asiad `94 she came under Shiny Abraham`s 800 metres mark and confirmed her place in the Indian team to the 1994 Asian Games at Hiroshima where she took part in the two events but could manage just a fourth place in 1,500 metres.
She was a part of the 4x400m relay team that won the gold at the World Railways Meet in London in 1994. She took part in the World Championships in Sweden followed by the 1995 Asian Track & Field Meet in Jakarta where she claimed a Cold in the 800 metres and her team won the Silver in the 4x400m relay. She created a new 800 metres national record in 1995 and was named Indian Railways Best Sportsperson in 1996, the year she won a Gold in the 400 metres at Taipei and was a part of the Indian 4x400m relay team at the Atlanta Olympics. She participated twice in the International 1TC Meet, winning a Bronze in 1994 and a Gold and Silver in 1997.

Jyotirmoyee won Bronze Medals in the 800 and 1,500 metre events to along with her team winning the 4x400m relay Silver or the Asian Track & Field Meet at Fukuoka in Japan in 1997. But it was the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok where she was to give her best performance with career best timings of 2:01.00 seconds in 800 metres and 4:12.82 seconds in 1,500 metres to win the Gold in both the events. Her third medal, Silver, came as member of the 4x400 relay squad.

(Last Updated on : 5/02/2009)

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J. J. Shobha , Indian Athlete

J. J. Shobha participates in the heptathlon and was the winner of the event at the inaugural Afro Asian games in 2003. Her personal best of 6211 points, achieved in 2004 is a National Record.

She came into the news for her performance at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens; where she completed the seven-discipline heptathlon event despite being injured in the penultimate event of Javelin throw. She had to be carried off the field but she returned with a tightly strapped left ankle and finished 3rd in the final event (800 m) and 11th overall with 6172 points. She was awarded the Arjuna award for the year 2004 for her gritty performance.

(Last Updated on : 25/11/2008)

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Ashwini Nachappa , Indian Athlete

Ashwini Nachappa was 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.

However, the first great moment was in the first All India Open Nationals when she won the first gold for the state and the then chief minister Gundu Rao presented her a cash award of Rs.1000.

In the Mangalore Nationals, Anand Shetty and she had emerged the `fastest man and woman` and she ran the 400 metres for the very first time finishing behind P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson, Vandana Shanbhag and Valsamma. The selection to the 1988 Olympic trials in Bangalore and being part of the Indian team to Seoul for the main event was Ashwini`s biggest moment.
Ashwini`s twin wins over `Payyoli Express` P. T. Usha catapulted her to a household name in India. The first time, at the Open Nationals in New Delhi `91, when she had won over P.T.Usha, in the 400 metres, every one called it a fluke. But, then she came back strongly two weeks later in an international invitation permit meet, also in New Delhi, and finished behind a Russian, pushing Usha to the third spot. The Arjuna Award that she received in June 1990 was yet another memorable occasion.
(Last Updated on : 25/11/2008)

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Soma Biswas ,Indian athlete

Soma Biswas was born on 16th May in the year 1978 in Ranaghat, indian state of West Bengal. She is an athlete who lives in Calcutta, India. Soma Biswas is a specialised athlete in the heptathlon. She has participated at the Asian Games held at Busan, South Korea in the year 2002. She won the silver medal at the tournament. Thus the rise of Soma Biswas to the fame greared up after this honor. Another silver medal, came from her participation at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. However she managed to win the 110m hurdles, the 200m and the 800m during that heptathlon.

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Vijaya Kumar , Indian Shooter

Vijay Kumar, the 21-year-old Himachal Pradesh lad , is an Indian Shooter. Vijay Kumar hails from Harsaur village of Hamirpur district, located near the shrine of Baba Balak Nath at Deotsidh.Vijay’s father Banku Ram is a former soldier. At the 2006 Commonwealth games he is the winner of two gold medals in the Men`s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (Pairs) with Pemba Tamang & the Men`s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.Vijay Kumar has the credit of winning 24 gold, 8 silver and 24 bronze in different national shooting events.Vijaya Anand is an Indian shooter and has received the Arjuna Award 2006.

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Jayant Talukdar , Indian Archer

Jayant Talukdar is a well-known name in Indian archery. Born in 1987 Talukdar is a promising youngster in the field of archery. Jayant comes 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 , the coaches were impressed with his physical strength and focused attitude .

In 2004 Jayant became the top performer of the Indian team and won the silver medal at the Junior Worlds in Britain .It was the country`s first medal at a world Championship. As Jayant upstaged a few seasoned stars to clinch the Olympic round at the 25th Senior Nationals in Kochi, he became India`s top archer in 2005.

He continued his successful run and made history by winning the gold medal in the FITA Meteksan Archery World Cup at Porec, Croatia,in the same year. Jayant Talukdar ranks second behind Italy`s Ilario di Buo in the world rankings of the individual archery. In the SAF Games held in Colombo, in 2006, Jayanta defeated competitor Tarundeep Rai to bag the men`s individual recurve gold in archery. He has received the Arjuna award for 2006 for his outstanding performance in sports.

(Last Updated on : 25/11/2008)

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Geeta Rani , Indian Weightlifter

Geeta rani is the Indian weightlifter .She is the winner of a gold medal of the Women`s +75 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and has received the 2006 Arjuna award. Sangrur-born Geeta Rani (25) is extremely hard working girl and this was the reason that despite having passed only Class VIII, she is now an Inspector in the CRPF on the basis of her performance at the national and international level. She has also won three silver medals in Asian Championship in 2004 and a bronze medal in the Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad in 2003, he added. She started weightlifting in 1994 and her coach was Surinder Singh.Geeta Rani has been awarded the Arjuna Award for her outstanding performance in sports.

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