India's Asian Games Legends: Shiny Abraham

Middle-distance runner Shiny Abraham was so far ahead of her Indian athletic contemporaries that her 800m national record set in 1995 stood for 15 years . She was also national champion for 14 straight years, an eternity in athletics. Born in Kerala in 1965, Abraham was part of the same athletic tradition that gave India the legendary PT Usha. The pair were both trained by the Kerala Sports Department, albeit in different cities.

Abraham won her first national championship in the 800m in 1981. Three years later at the Los Angeles Olympics, she would become the first female Indian athlete to reach the semi-finals of a track and field event. She would compete in three more Olympics, but 1984 was to be her greatest achievement on the world stage. In the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, Abraham finished second to Usha in the women’s 400m and won gold as part of India’s victorious 4x400m relay team. Closer to home, she won the gold in 800m at the 1989 Asian Athletic Championships while also finishing second to Usha in the 400m. Remarkably, Abraham set her national record in 1985 at the age of 30 and after having given birth to her daughter. Her time of 1:59.85 at the 1995 South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Chennai was also the first time she broke two minutes. A devout Christian, Abraham told a religious website that her faith was the foundation of her success. “I pray before every event. If there are others in the camp who share my faith, we spend time reading the Bible and praying together. There is a great sense of togetherness in these camps. Even those of different faiths join us when we pray together." Abraham was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1984 and Padma Sri in 1998. Asian Games medals Gold: 1986 Asian Games – 4x400m relay Silver: 1986 Asian Games – 400m Bronze: 1994 Asian Games – 800m