Celebration of Woman power in India (Part 3) - Sports

This is the field where woman may have been sidelined but from time to time they have proved themselves to be really sporty. India has seen tough girls coming to the foreground and taking sports to a new level every time. So, this post is a tribute to some of those prominent sports women.

P.T. Usha is considered one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced. and is often called 'Queen of Indian track and field' and is nicknamed 'Payyoli Express' after the name of her village in Kerala. In the 1982 New Delhi Asiad she got noticed when she got silver medal in the 100 m and the 200 m. At the Asian Track and Field  Championship she took gold in 400 m and even made a new Asian record. Between 1983-89 she garnered 13 medals at the ATF meets. And this journey seemed like a never ending dream run. She has won 101 medals so far and has been conferred with the Padma Shri and Arjuna awards. She runs the Usha School of  Athletics in Kerala.


The most sort after women sports personality of recent times - Saina Nehwal. She is currently ranked at 5 in the world by the Badminton World Federation. She has been awarded the Khel Ratna award by the Indian Government. She is the first Indian woman to win the World junior Badminton Championship. Saina created history on June 21, 2009 by becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament. She has taken Indian badminton to new heights after the legendary Prakash Padukone. In 2010 she was awarded the Padma Shri. She has a long way to long and she will surely get to achieve more of her dreams.


Perhaps this is the sports-lady who has attracted the maximum crowd towards her - Sania Mirza. She may have lost her form recently but she made it to the place where no other Indian women could, among the top 30 in the WTA ranking. She has also got the Arjuna and Padma Shri awards. She had won the Wimbeldon girls's doubles title in 2003 and also won the Australian Mixed double title alongside Mahesh Bhupati in 2009. Some got attracted for her looks and short skirts and others for her sport. But for sure she is the most loved among women players.




Jyotirmoyee Sikdar was a middle distance runner the 800 metres at the 1995 Asian Athletics championship. She won 2 bronze medals in the same in 1998. In the same year she won 2 gold medals in the Asian Games. She has been a member of the Parliament in the 14th Lok Sabha representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from Paschim Banga. She has been affiliated with Arjuna, Khel ratna and Padma Shri awards.





Jwala Gutta can be easily termed as the latest showstopper in the world of sports. She has won the National Badminton Championship 13 times and is one of the best women's doubles badminton players produced from India in recent times and has been ranked in the top 10. In the 2010 Commonwealth she won the gold medal in women's doubles. She has been the winner of the Arjuna ward too.





Bula Choudhury has been a National Women Swimming champion in India. She is the first woman to cross seven seas. She has crossed the English Channel twice. She is the recipient of the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri award. She has also been a Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator. She is now planning to open a swimming institue in Kolkata.


Jhulan Goswami is an all round cricketer playing for the India National Women's cricket team and is its captain too and also plays for Asia women XI women's cricket team. She won the ICC Women's Player of the year 2007. She is an Arjuna award recipient too.





Anju Bobby George maybe out of form now but she made history by winning the Bronze medal in the long jump in the 2003 World Championship in Athletics. In 2005 she went on to win silver at the IAAF finals. She had a world ranking of 6 which is the best in her career. She has recieved the Khel Ratna, Padma Shri and Arjuna awards.

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