New Delhi, March 4: Manpreet Kaur is recognized as one of India’s top shot put athletes. She has won medals for the country on international platforms, showcasing her exceptional talent.
Born on March 5, 1990, in Patiala, Punjab, Manpreet hails from a modest family background. Despite facing numerous challenges, she carved a niche for herself in the sports world. Her interest in athletics was sparked by her father and cousins, who were also athletes. Initially, she trained in the 100-meter sprint, but her brother encouraged her to switch to shot put, recognizing her potential.
Tragedy struck when Manpreet was just 13 years old, as her father passed away. At 16, her mother suffered a stroke. Despite these dual challenges, Kaur remained determined to achieve greatness in sports.
In 2007, she secured the 9th position at the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships held in Ostrava. After a three-year break, she made a remarkable comeback in 2010, breaking an 18-year-old national record. In 2015, she won a gold medal at the 55th National Open Athletics Championship in Kolkata with a throw of 17.96 meters.
In 2016, she became the only Indian woman in her category to qualify for the Rio Olympics. In 2017, during the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China, she threw 18.86 meters, not only winning the gold medal but also achieving the best performance of the world season, which propelled her to the top of the world rankings. This performance also qualified her for the World Championships in London.
However, in 2017, Manpreet faced controversy after testing positive for steroids four times. She was suspended for four years starting July 20, 2017, and her gold medals and national records were annulled.
After her suspension ended in 2022, she made a comeback and won a gold medal at the national championship. Currently, she is employed with Indian Railways, balancing her job responsibilities alongside her athletic career.
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