Indian javelin thrower Annu Rani will be awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award 2024 on January 17, 2025 by the President Of India, Sri Droupadi Murmu. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has honored Annu Rani with the prestigious award for her outstanding contributions in athletics and outstanding performances on the international arena.
Annu Rani’s Early Life
Annu Rani was born on 28 August 1992 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Annu Rani was not a career girl from stardom. Annu Rani was a lower-middle-class girl, and though her father could never believe that athletics would be a career for his daughter, it was actually her brother Upendra who encouraged Annu Rani to take up javelin throw as a sport. And due to availability of limited resources and limited finance, she fashioned her first javelin out of bamboo.
How Annu Rani Climbed Up The Ladder?
It has been Annu Rani breaking national records in 2014 that initiated her illustrious career into javelin throws. She was the very first Indian woman to qualify herself for the women’s javelin throw finals, at the World Athletics Championships for the first time in 2019, whose caliber shines on any international platform. Annu Rani won a bronze medal at Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and became the first-ever Indian lady javelin thrower who was able to receive a medal in the event itself.
Annu Rani’s Exceptional 2023
In 2023, Annu Rani won the gold medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, thereby going to the pinnacle of her career. This established her as one of the best javelin throwers in the world. Annu Rani did not manage to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024 on merit but received a spot there through the ranking quota, which reflects the sort of unrelenting determination she needed to give her best.
A Role Model for Future Generations Annu Rani’s victory inspires women in India to challenge set societal norms, empower the next generation of female athletes and gives a declaration of hard work and breaking barriers into the world of athletics, hence making her a true role model for aspiring athletes.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye