Who Is Annu Rani, First Indian Woman To Win Gold In Javelin Throw In Asian Games History

India's Annu Rani continued her remarkable performance at the Asian Games 2023 by securing a gold medal in the women's javelin throw with her best throw measuring an impressive 62.92 meters. Rani achieved her outstanding throw during her fourth attempt.

This historic achievement has made Annu Rani the first Indian woman to claim a gold medal in javelin throw in the history of the Asian Games.

WHO IS ANNU RANI: Annu, 31 year 31-year-old girl hails from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. As per the information on the 19th Asian Games website, Annu's ambition is to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She completed her education at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.

Annu was quoted by Yourstory in 2020 saying that regardless of a person's background, hard work and talent are all that matter. "When I started taking part in competitions, I used to think, 'I am from the village, there are no facilities there'. I used to think that girls who came from the cities and well-to-do families could only do well because they had better facilities. It was only after I competed at various levels that I realized that it was not true. If you have the talent and work hard, nothing else matters", said Annu.

EARLIER ACHIEVEMENTS: In her earlier achievements, Annu Rani was the recipient of the Sportswoman of the Year in Athletics award at the 2023 Sportstar Aces Awards in India. She was also named the 2019 Sportswoman of the Year in Athletics at the Sportstar Aces Awards.

Not only this, she also became the first female athlete representing India to win a medal in javelin at the Commonwealth Games when she claimed bronze at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, England. Before becoming the first in Asian Games history, Annu had become the first Indian female javelin thrower to cross the 60m mark by throwing 61.86m at the 2017 Federation Cup National Championships in Patiala, India

PERSONAL LIFE: As per her info on Asian Games page, Annu's brother Upendra encouraged her to take up the sport when he noticed her ability during a cricket match. However, everything was not all shiny for Annu as she faced trouble convincing her father to allow her to pursue her athletic ambitions.

Scroll quotes Annu saying in 2017 that she is from a village and her father is a farmer who initially believed that girls should not be indulging in sports. " I tried hard to convince him to let me play, I cried and pleaded with him. Finally, since I was the youngest at home and everyone was fond of me, he allowed it. He probably thought I'd play a little and end up at home", added Annu.