Rousing welcome for Asian games Gold winner Ashwini Akkunji

Rousing welcome for Asian games Gold winner Ashwini Akkunji

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, November 30: Ashwini Chidananda, who has made the whole of India proud by winning two gold medals at the 16th Asian Games, received rousing welcome at the Mangalore International Airport on Tuesday, November 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ashwini Akkunji has attracted sports loving people with a brilliant performance at the Commonwealth Games in the Capital which was followed by two gold medals at the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China.

Speaking after arriving at the Mangalore air port Ashwini Akkunji said that the past two months have been just unbelievable for me and I can’t believe what I have achieved. She said that it was a memorable Asian Games campaign with two gold medals - 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, she said.

While the accolades are flowing from all corners for Ashwini, she does not want to rest on her laurels. She feels that she needs to improve her timing if she has to make her presence felt at the Olympics and World Championships.

"I know what I have achieved but there is still a lot to be done before I become a prominent name worldwide. I have to work more on improving my speed and and will get back to my training soon."

With London Olympics in 2012 being the ultimate goal for her, Ashwini wants to approach the event well prepared and is targeting Asian Championships in July and the World Championships in August next year. "The London Olympics is not too far and I have to be in good shape to get a medal there. The Asian Championships in Japan next year will test my mettle which will be followed by the Worlds in August. "So I will get back to training sooner than what I had expected but I need to keep up my fitness as well," she noted.

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.

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.