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Indian Olympic Association (IOA) 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 (AFI) 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)
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