Asian Games : Ashwini Akkunji wins eighth gold for India

Asian Games : Ashwini Akkunji wins eighth gold for India

Mangalore Today News Network

Guangzhou, Nov 25 :  India’s Ashwini Chidananda won a surprise gold in the women’s 400 metres hurdles  at the Asian Games here Thursday, November 25.

With a personal best timing of 56.15 seconds, Ashwini clinched the eighth gold medal for India from the track and field event of the Asian Games at the Aoti Main Stadium.

 

On Wednesday, both Ashwini and Murmu had qualified for the finals with their personal best timings at the Asian Games by topping their heats.

Golden Girl- Ashwini Akkunji

She has made the whole of India proud, particularly undivided Dakshina Kannada. She is the girl who gave India the golden lead in the third leg of the 4x400 meter relay event at the Commonwealth Games, ultimately helping India win the gold by clocking 3: 27:77. She is truly our golden girl.

Ashwini Akkunji from Kundapur is now the cynosure of all eyes. The lesser known girl has shot to national fame after her wonderful performance in the athletic event. In fact, she ran the race of her life to overtake Nigerian Dammy Abogunloko and gave India the lead midway through the third leg. “It’s unbelievable, I’ve never seen some of the girls run like this before,” these words of appreciation from India’s former sprint queen  P.T. Usha, after watching the team emerge the winners, are suffice to prove the efforts put in by the four girls.

Ashwini, is the daughter of Akkunji Chidanandagowda, an arecanut grower of Kundapur. But, what might have actually inspired Ashwini to take to running were her father’s cattle. The carefree running behind the cows, were possibly the inspiration  behind her passion for running. Soon after her win in the hurdles event at the Commonwealth Games, 23 year old Ashwini  recalled how she used to  run a lot along with the cows and also at school, though at that time she was not quite serious about athletics.

It was her three year stay in a sports school sponsored by the Department of Youth Services and Sports  in Bangalore, where she was enrolled after one of the coaches spotted the talent in her, that actually provided a strong basis for her athletics career. Later, she underwent scholarship based training programme  in Tata Athletics Academy in Jamshedpur. To her good luck, a national level coach RS Sidhu spotted her at a national meet and selected her for the national camp.

Presently, working as a ticket examiner in Indian Railways,  she has been supporting her family which faces crisis at times due to losses in arecanut farming.  Still, she has a regret that she rarely got any recognition despite winning several medals, but hopes things would change after the Commonwealth feat.

Earlier, she had been  the junior national champion in 400 m race and had also won in women’s athletics championships. She was among the athletes who were trained in Ukraine under coach Yuri Ogorodnik and Ashwini does not forget to add that her coaching in Ukraine had helped her a great deal in improving her performance.
She is an asset for the country. She is going to be a medal-winner in the forthcoming Asian Games, says Dakshina Kannada District Sports School Athletics Coach Vasanthakumar.

Her stupendous performance in the Commonwealth Games, has made the nation pin more hopes on her in many more international sports events to come. She is a champion athlete who is sure to come out in flying colours.

 

Kundapura celebrates Ashwini’s Gold win

 

Her parents, Chidananda Shetty, an agriculturist, and Yashoda, a housewife, have been flooded by congratulatory calls ever since Ashwini won a gold at the Asian games. Sweets were exchanged and crackers were burst on the occasion.

Chidananda said, “We are very happy with her win and were confident she would win a gold after she performed very well in the heats. Soon after the heats, she called up and said, ‘Papa, I’ve done well in the heats. I’ll give it my best shot in tomorrow’s event’.”

Though Ashwini called home after the victory, her parents could not speak to her till around 7 pm due to some telecom problem.

Her parents were glued to the TV, following Ashwini as she overcame odds to clinch the gold. Later, Chidananda went to the nearby Shiva temple and offered prayers.

After Ashwini returns home, a special puja will be offered at the Kamalashile Durgaparameshwarai temple and various temples near her town.

Chidananda said Ashwini was disciplined, punctual and hard-working and would never compromise on practice. From Class I, she would wash her own clothes. She is also an animal lover.