Ashwini Akkunji

Ashwini Chidananda Shetty Akkunji (born 7 October 1987) is an Indian sprint athlete from Siddapura, Udupi who specializes in 400 metres.[1] Ashwini has won Gold Medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games in 4x400 m relay team event with Manjeet Kaur, Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose[2] and an individual gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles on 25 November 2010 at the 2010 Asian Games held at Guangzhou, in China.[3] She is also a recipient of the Rajyotsava Prashasti (2010), a civilian honour awarded by the Indian State Government of Karnataka[4][5]

Ashwini Akkunji
Ashwini in 2014
Personal information
Birth nameAshwini Chidananda Shetty Akkunji
Full nameAshwini Chidananda Shetty Akkunji
Nickname(s)jansale express
NationalityIndian
Born (1987-10-07) 7 October 1987
Siddapura, Udupi, India
Height184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Sport
CountryIndia
SportAthletics
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 m: 52.82 (Bangalore 2011)
400 m hurdles: 56.15 (Guangzhou 2010)
Medal record
Women’s athletics
Representing  India
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Delhi4x400 m relay
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2010 Guangzhou400 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place2010 Guangzhou4x400 m relay
South Asian Games
Silver medal – second place2016 Guwahati400 m hurdles

Bio

Born in Siddapura, Udupi, Kundapura taluk, Udupi district, Karnataka, she was raised in a Tulu-speaking family to her mother, Yashoda Shetty Akkunji and father, B.R. Chidananda Shetty.[6][7] Ashwini hails from an agriculturist family.[8] with a sporting legacy.[9] She grew up on her family's 5 acre farmland amidst Areca nut plantations along with her elder siblings a sister, Dipti and a brother, Amith.[10] Earlier, Ashwini was employed with the Indian Railways, and as a manager in Corporation bank in Patiala, Punjab[11] and presently works as a coach in Sports Authority of India Bangalore.[12]

Doping

In July 2011 prior to Asian athletics championships in Kobe (Japan) she tested positive for anabolic steroids.[13] She was subsequently dropped from the athletics team for the event and was suspended from athletics. She denied the charges but on 23 December 2011 the NADA banned her for a year.[14] The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by the International Association of Athletics Federations against lighter sentences and handed Ashwini and 5 other athletes (Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose, Jauna Murmu, Tiana Mary and Priyanka Panwar) a two-year ban.[15]

Awards, rewards and recognition

She was given the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2010. This comprised a cash payment of one hundred thousand Rupees, a 20 gramme gold medallion and a grant of priority in the allotment of house sites by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).[16] She has been rewarded financially by both the national and state governments, as well as Indian Railways, in recognition of the gold medals won in 2010.[17][18][19][20]

References
  1. Kundapur (SP) (14 October 2010). "Kundapur: Country's Pride, Ashwini Shetty Akkunje, Getting Accolades Aplenty". Daijiworld Media Network. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  2. Bose, Saibal. "Indian relay girls bring the house down". Times of India. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  3. Rawat, Rahul. "Ashwini wants to win more medals". India Today. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  4. "Infosys CEO Gopalakrishnan, Ullas Karanth bag top Karnataka award". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 30 October 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  5. "Running against the odds". deccanchronicle.
  6. Team Mangalorean. "Ashwini's village in celebration mood!". Mangalorean.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  7. Staff Correspondent (14 October 2010). "Ashwini's family ecstatic". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  8. Belgaumkar, Govind D. (14 October 2010). "Grit pumped up Karnataka's golden girl". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  9. Beejadi, Aishwarya. "Udupi: Rural Surroundings of Akkunje Scripts Ashwini's Success". Daijiworld.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  10. Daily News and Analysis. "Gensale Express does India proud at Asiad". D B Corp Ltd. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  11. Sukumar, Dev S. "Running... till the cows come home". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  12. "Udupi: Athlete Ashwini Akkunji gets engaged". Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  13. Ashwini and Priyanka add to doping shame : Controversies – London Olympics News – India Today
  14. "ashwini akkunji". Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  15. "CAS confirms 2-year bans on 6 Indian athletes". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  16. "Rajyotsava awards for 162 Bangalore, Oct 30, DH News Service: « NRI Forum Karnataka :: News". Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  17. "India News". The Times of India. 13 October 2010.
  18. Yeddy announces cash prizes to Karna medal winners in CWG
  19. "Railways honours Commonwealth Games medallists". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010.
  20. The Village Road that Led to Guangzhou – Indian Express
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