New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Legendary sprinter and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Indian Athletics Awards ceremony on Saturday.

Apart from Usha, former Asian Games decathlon gold medallist Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, former national chief coach Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and World Championships bronze medallist long jumper Anju Bobby George were also presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Expressing her delight after receiving the honour, Usha admitted that the recognition came as a surprise.

“I did not expect to win this award because I did not apply for it. Most of the time in India, you don’t get awards if you have not applied for them. This is a very good initiative from my Federation, the AFI,” she said.

The awards were introduced by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to acknowledge excellence and contributions across various aspects of the sport.

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.

The inaugural edition featured 10 categories, including Best Athlete (Male and Female), Best Coach, Best Technical Official, Best State Association, and Lifetime Achievement Award.

PT Usha, known as the ‘Queen of Indian Track and Field,’ is a legendary sprinter who dominated Asian athletics. Her major achievements include winning 11 Asian Games medals (4 gold, 7 silver), 23 Asian Championship medals, and becoming the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final. She currently serves as the president of the Indian Olympic Association.

Anju Bobby George remains India’s only medallist at the World Athletics Championships, having secured a bronze medal in the women’s long jump at the 2003 edition in Paris.

Randhawa, one of the pioneers of Indian athletics, claimed the decathlon gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games, while Bahadur Singh Chauhan played a pivotal role in shaping several generations of athletes during his tenure as the national team’s chief coach.

–IANS

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