Manathoor Devasia Valsamma (born 21 October 1960) is a retired Indian athlete. She was the second Indian woman to win an individual gold medal at the Asian Games and the first to win it on 1982 Asian Games, Indian soil.

Early life

Valsamma was born on 21 October 1960 in Ottathai, Kannur district of Kerala. She started her athletics career during school days though she only took it more seriously when she moved to Mercy College,Mercy College, Palakkad
/ref> Palakkad, for further studies. Her first medal was for Kerala in the 100 metres hurdles and pentathlon in the Inter-University Championship at Pune in 1979. She was enrolled in Southern Railway (India) and was coached by A. K. Kutty. She created a great impression at the Inter-State Meet at Bangalore in 1981 by winning five gold medals, the hurdles over 100 and 400 metres in addition to the 400 metres flat and the 4 x 400 metres relay, 400 m and 4 x 100 metres relay, 100 m relays. That performance catapulted her into the Railway and national teams and in 1982 she became the national champion over 400-metre hurdles with a new record, which was also better than the Asian record.

Professional athletics career

Valsamma won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles in an Indian and Asian record time of 58.47 seconds in front of a home crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the 1982 Asian Games. This made her the second woman athlete to win an Asian Games gold for India, after Kamaljit Sandhu (400 metres-1974 Asian Games, 1974). She later figured in a silver medal-winning 4 X 400 metres relay team. Govt. of India conferred her the Arjuna Award in 1982 and the Padma Shri in 1983 and the G. V. Raja cash award from Kerala Government. For the first time in the history, the Indian women team entered the finals in the 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Olympics, 1984 and finished in the seventh position. Valsamma began concentrating more on 100 m hurdles. She won a gold in the 100 m hurdles and created a National record in the first National Games in 1985. Valsamma also appeared in the Spartakiad 1983 in Moscow, the South Asian Games, South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in South Asian Games#4TH SAF GAMES - 1989 ISLAMABAD .28PAKISTAN.29, Islamabad fetched her bronze in the 100 metres, a Silver in the quarter-mile and the Gold m the 4 x 400 metres relay. In a career spanning nearly 15 years, M.D. Valsamma took part in IAAF World Cup in Athletics, World Cup meets in Havana, Tokyo, London, the Asian Games editions of 1982, 86, 90 and 94 and in all the Asian Track & Field meets and SAF Games, leaving her mark in each and every competition.

References

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Portal

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Valsamma, M. D. Living people 1960 births Sportswomen from Kerala Indian female sprinters Indian female hurdlers 20th-century Indian women 20th-century Indian people Olympic athletes for India Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Asian Games gold medalists for India Asian Games silver medalists for India Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Asian Games Recipients of the Arjuna Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports Malayali people People from Kannur district Medalists at the 1982 Asian Games Medalists at the 1986 Asian Games Athletes from Kerala South Asian Games gold medalists for India South Asian Games silver medalists for India South Asian Games bronze medalists for India South Asian Games medalists in athletics