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NEW DELHI — Legendary sprinter and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha on Sunday was conferred with the 'Lifetime Achievement' award by the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) and Delhi Sports Journalists Association (DSJA) at the National Sports Club of India.
To honour her stellar sporting career, Usha was presented with a medallion, a citation and a memento on the occasion. The ceremony was graced by Guest of Honours Rajeev Shukla, Member of Parliament - Rajya Sabha and Vice President, BCCI and former Indian shooter Jaspal Rana.
PT Usha is the fifth recipient of the SJFI and DSJA 'Lifetime Achievement' award after tennis legend Vijay Amritraj, former badminton icon Prakash Padukone, India's legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and former sprinter Milkha Singh. Usha, throughout her memorable career between 1977 and 2000, won 103 international medals for India. She also claimed four gold medals and seven silver medals in the Asian Games and competed across three editions of the Olympics.
Speaking at the event, Usha said, "I am grateful that my career achievements are being remembered till today. During my time, we did not have all the facilities that are available to athletes in today's age – overseas training, nutrition, sports psychology, and sports science among others. Now that I am working at IOA, our effort is to focus on the Paris Olympics. After that, we will shift our attention to fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make India a sporting power by 2036."
Rajeev Shukla, Member of Parliament - Rajya Sabha said, "PT Usha deserves the honour presented to her. She is an icon and a guiding spirit for the sportspersons in the country. Now she has been given the difficult task of administering the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and we are confident she will be able to navigate through these waters effectively."
Former India shooter Jaspal Rana added: "Sportsperson(s) feel happy when they are awarded. But to present an award of this stature to an athlete you have always looked up to is a different honour. I am grateful to be given this opportunity today. PT Usha has been an idol to many sportsperson(s) across the world. I am proud that someone as strong as her will now be the head of IOA and with her guidance and support, we will crack many battles."