IOA president PT Usha, Anju Bobby George among athletes given 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at AFI Awards
New Delhi, June 20
Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha, former Asian Games gold medalist Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, shot put legend, Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and long jump World Championships' medalist Anju Bobby George were given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Athletics Federation of India in New Delhi.
Some of the biggest legends of Indian sports were honoured by AFI at the AFI Awards in the national capital on Saturday.
PT Usha is one of the finest track and field athletes of all time, having won medals, plenty of gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships. She also once held the national record of the women's 400 m category.
Gurbachan Singh is best known for his Asian Games 1962 gold medal in decathlon
Bahadur Singh Chauhan is a two-time Asian Games medalist (1978 and 1982) and a one-time Asian Championships gold medalist (1975) in shot put, and was later a guiding force for several Indian athletes as the head coach of the Indian athletics team.
Anju Bobby George is best known for her World Championship medal at Paris in the long jump back in 2003, the first-ever medal in the World Athletics meet by an Indian. She is also an Asian Games gold medalist, Commonwealth Games medalist. She holds the national women's long-jump record, having set it during the 2004 Olympics.
The awards have been conceptualised as a platform to honour current and former athletes, coaches, technical officials, mentors, state associations, sponsors, and all other stakeholders whose contributions have played a vital role in India's growing success on the global athletics stage.
Most of India's leading current and former athletes are a part of the event, making it a significant gathering for the Indian athletics fraternity and a celebration of the sport's rapid rise in the country. Such initiatives will play an important role in boosting the morale and confidence of Indian athletes, especially young and emerging talents, while also helping create a stronger culture of recognition and inspiration within the sport.
The ceremony is honouring excellence across 10 award categories, including Lifetime Achievement Awards, Best Athlete (Male & Female), Best Coach, Best Technical Official, Best State Association and Best State Supporting Athletics.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative by AFI! But honestly, where was this kind of recognition decades ago? So many athletes from the 70s and 80s struggled without proper support. Bahadur Singh ji and Gurbachan Singh ji deserve all the applause. Hope this inspires young athletes to take up athletics seriously.
Anju Bobby George's World Championship medal in 2003 still gives me goosebumps! She paved the way for so many women in sports. And PT Usha ma'am - the 'Payyoli Express' - what a legacy! Hope AFI continues this tradition and also focuses on grassroots development. 👏
Lifetime achievement awards are nice, but AFI should also focus on current athletes. We have Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable, and others doing amazing work. Also, the prize money for these awards should be substantial - these legends sacrificed so much for Indian sports without proper financial backing.
As someone who followed Indian athletics from abroad, it's heartening to see this recognition. PT Usha and Anju Bobby George are household names, but Gurbachan Singh and Bahadur Singh Chauhan deserve equal spotlight. The 10-category structure seems comprehensive - hope this becomes an annual tradition that grows bigger each year.
Beautiful to see our athletics legends finally getting their due! But I have a small criticism - why no posthumous awards for athletes like Milkha Singh ji? He's our greatest track legend and deserved this recognition while he was alive. Still, happy for all the recipients. 🇮🇳
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