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Updated July 6th, 2022 at 20:55 IST

PT Usha nominated to Rajya Sabha, PM Modi hails athlete's role in mentoring young athletes

"Her accomplishments in sports are widely known but equally commendable is her work to mentor budding athletes over the last several years," PM Modi said.

Reported by: Kamal Joshi
PT Usha
Image: Twitter/@NarendraModi | Image:self
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated former Olympic track and field athlete PT Usha on being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of the Indian Parliament. Calling her an inspiration for every Indian, PM Modi also commended her work to mentor budding athletes over the last several years.

"The remarkable PT Usha Ji is an inspiration for every Indian. Her accomplishments in sports are widely known but equally commendable is her work to mentor budding athletes over the last several years. Congratulations to her on being nominated to the Rajya Sabha. @PTUshaOfficial," the Prime Minister tweeted.

The 58-year-old has been nominated for the Rajya Sabha by the Presidential Quota. The others who have been nominated today are Ilaiyaraaja, Veerendra Heggade and KV Vijayendra Prasad. All are from South Indian states.

PT Usha's achievements

Born in a small village in Kerala's Kozhikode district, PT Usha is one of India's most iconic sportspersons. Popularly known as the Payyoli Express, she has represented the country and won medals at various international sporting events, including the World Junior Invitational Meet, Asian Championships, and Asian Games. She also set and broke several national and Asian records during her career.

In the 1984 Olympics, Usha missed winning India's first media in track and field event as she stood fourth in the women's 400m hurdles category and the bronze medal by 1/100 second.

After her retirement, she started the Usha School of Athletics, to provide world-class facilities to talented youngsters. She is a recipient of the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri. 

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Published July 6th, 2022 at 20:44 IST

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