PT Usha Records: The Legendary former Indian Sprinter PT Usha is set to become the first woman President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). She emerged as the lone candidate for the top post in IOA for the elections that are scheduled to be held on December 10, 2022. With this achievement, she will be the first Olympian and the first international medallist to head the association in its 95-year-old history.
Earlier on July 6, 2022, the Government of India had nominated the celebrated athlete PT Usha to the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her via Twitter and highlighted her accomplishments in sports. He also noted that her work to mentor budding athletes over the last few years is also equally commendable.
PT Usha, since her retirement in 2000, has been a constant presence at the national track and field meets along with her trainees from the Usha School of Athletics based in Kinalur in Kerala’s Kozhikode. Tintu Luka, the current 800 meters national record holder as well as an Asian Games medalist, is the most famous product of Usha’s athletics school.
PT Usha’s greatest moment on track and her biggest heartbreak came when she missed out on a Bronze Medal by 1/100th of a second in the 400-meter hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
Congratulations to legendary Golden Girl, Smt. P T Usha on being elected as the President of Indian Olympic Association. I also congratulate all the sporting heroes of our country on becoming the office bearers of the prestigious IOA! Nation is proud of them ! pic.twitter.com/LSHHdmMy9H
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 27, 2022
PT Usha Biography
Born | June 27, 1964 |
Full Name | Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha |
Age | 58 years |
Education | GVHSS (Sports) Kannur |
Nickname | Golden Girl, Payyoli Express |
Sports Career | Retired Indian track and field athelete |
Years Active | 1976-2000 |
Employer | Indian Railways |
Spouse | V. Srinivasan |
Awards | Arjuna Award for Athletics, Padma Shri |
Children | Vignesh Ujjwal, Ujjwal Srinivasan |
Books | Golden Girl: The Autobiography of P.T. Usha |
PT Usha Early Life
Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha (P.T. Usha) was born on June 27, 1964. She was born in Kuttali, Kozhikode, Kerala, and has been associated with Indian athletics since 1979. P.T. Usha is often called the ‘Queen of Indian track and field’. PT Usha studied at Providence Women’s College in Kozhikode.
PT Usha Personal Life
She married V. Srinivasan, an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force in 1991. They have two sons.
PT Usha Career
P.T. Usha was first noticed by O.M. Nambiar, an athletics coach at a sports prize-distribution ceremony in 1977 and in the same he began coaching her. Quick results were followed after she won six medals at the inter-state meet for juniors, in Kollam in 1978. It included four gold medals in 100 m, 200 m, 60 m hurdles and high jump, silver in long jump, and bronze in 4x100 m relay.
PT Usha’s best moment came at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She entered on the back of a string of good performances at the year’s New Delhi inter-state meet and Mumbai Open National Championships. In the 1985 Jakarta Asian Championships, she won 6 medals- five Gold and one Bronze.
From 1983-89, PT Usha garnered 13 Gold Medals at ATF meets. In the 10th Asian Games held at Seoul, South Korea in 1986, PT Usha won 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the track and field events.
Currently, P.T. Usha is a member of the Board of Advisors of India’s International Movement to the United Nations (I.I.M.U.N).
PT Usha Records
Year | Competition | Venue | Position |
1980 | Olympic Games | Moscow, Russia | 5th (heats) |
1982 | Asian Games | New Delhi, India | 2nd |
2nd | |||
1983 | Asian Championships | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 2nd |
1st | |||
1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, USA | 4th |
7th | |||
1985 | Asian Championships | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1st |
1st | |||
1st | |||
1st | |||
3rd | |||
1st | |||
World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 7th | |
5th | |||
8th | |||
1986 | Asian Games | Seoul, South Korea | 2nd |
1st | |||
1st | |||
1st | |||
1st | |||
1987 | Asian Championships | Singapore | 2nd |
1st | |||
1st | |||
2nd | |||
1st | |||
World Championships | Rome, Italy | DNS | |
6th (semifinal) | |||
8th (heats) | |||
1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 7th (heats) |
1989 | Asian Championships | New Delhi, India | 2nd |
1st | |||
1st | |||
1st | |||
2nd | |||
1st | |||
1990 | Asian Games | Beijing, China | 4th |
2nd | |||
2nd | |||
2nd | |||
1994 | Asian Games | Hiroshima, Japan | 4th |
5th | |||
2nd | |||
1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, USA | DSQ |
1998 | Asian Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 3rd |
3rd | |||
1st | |||
2nd | |||
Asian Games | Bangkok, Thailand | 6th | |
4th |
PT Usha Achievements
P.T Usha represented India in the 4x100 meters relay together with Valdivel Jayalakshmi, Rachita Mistry, and E.B. Shyla in the 1998 Asian Championships in Athletics where her team won the gold medal on a way to set the current National Record of 44.43 s.
PT Usha Medals
Year | Tournament | Medals |
1982 | New Delhi Asian Games | Silver |
1983 | Asian Championships | Gold |
1985 | Jakarta Asian Championships | Five Gold and One Bronze |
1986 | Seoul Asian Games | 4 Gold Medals and 1 silver medal |
1983-89 | ATF Meets | 13 Gold Medals |
PT Usha Awards and Honours
Year | Awards & Honours |
2000 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt.) conferred by Kannur University |
2017 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Sc.) conferred by IIT Kanpur |
2018 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt.) conferred by the University of Calicut |
2019 | IAAF Veteran Pin |
1985 | Padma Shri |
1984 | Arjuna Award |
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