| 1. Annu Rani developed a passion for sports in her childhood and aspired for a career in the field. Her brother noticed her aptitude for javelin throwing due to her strong upper body when they played cricket together during her teenage years. Initially trained by her brother throwing sugarcane sticks, Annu began her javelin throw journey in 2010 at the age of 18 by making her first javelin stick from a bamboo piece. Growing up in a conservative village where females participating in sports were discouraged, Annu faced resistance to her pursuit of javelin throwing. Despite challenges like being banned from practice at school and financial constraints, Annu dedicated herself to training, traveling long distances daily for practice. With the guidance of Commonwealth Bronze Medalist Kashinath Naik, Annu broke the national record and clinched medals at various competitions, inspiring her to dream of Olympic success. Under rigorous training at the National Institute of Sports, Annu honed her skills, broke records, and won championships, becoming the first Indian woman to secure an Athletics World’s Championship in 2017. She continued to achieve new milestones, including qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Annu's perseverance was rewarded with gold medals and historic victories in national and international events, leading to her appointment as an officer with the Indian Railways. Her notable achievements include securing a bronze medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 and making history as the first Indian female javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2023 with a throw of 62.92 meters. |
