Manju Rani (Athlete) Height, Age, Husband, Family, Biography & More
Bio/Wiki | |
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Profession(s) | • Athlete • Indian Army official |
Physical Stats & More | |
[1]Sportstar Height | in centimeters- 164 cm in meters- 1.64 m in feet & inches- 5’ 5” |
Weight (approx.) | in kilograms- 55 kg in pounds- 121 lbs |
Eye Colour | Brown |
Hair Colour | Black |
Athletics | |
Coach | Pritpal Kaur |
Event | 35 Km race walk |
Medal(s) | • Silver medal in 35 Km race walk event at the 9th National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi, Jharkhand (2022) • Silver medal at the 36th National Games in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (2022) • Gold medal in 35 Km race walk event at the 10th National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi, Jharkhand (2023) • Gold medal at the 62nd National Inter State Senior Athletic Championships (2023) • Bronze medal in 35 Km race walk mixed team event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China (2023) |
Personal Life | |
Date of Birth | 22 March 1999 (Monday) |
Age (as of 2023) | 24 Years |
Birthplace | Mansa, Punjab, India |
Zodiac sign | Aries |
Nationality | Indian |
Hometown | Mansa, Punjab, India |
Tattoo | She has got the word ‘Maa’ (in Hindi) and a heartbeat tattoo inked on her left hand’s wrist. |
Relationships & More | |
Marital Status | Unmarried |
Family | |
Husband/Spouse | N/A |
Parents | Father- Jagdish Ram (farmer) Mother- Name Not Known (died in a drowning accident) [2]Sportstar |
Siblings | Brother- Name Not Known (elder; Indian Police official) |
Money Factor | |
Salary (approx.) | Rs 32000 per month (as of 2023) [3]The Times of India |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Manju Rani
- Manju Rani is an Indian athlete, who is known for competing in the 35 km race walk events. In 2023, she won a bronze medal in the team 35 km race walk event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
- She spent her childhood in Khaira Khurd village of Mansa district in Punjab, India.
- When Manju was two years old, her mother died in a drowning accident. [4]The Indian Express
- In an interview, she shared that her journey as a racewalker began when she was a handball player. She had attended a selection trial for handball at a school, but the school did not offer handball as a sport. It was her coach at the school who recommended that she give racewalking a try. She said,
I had never race-walked before that but I managed to finish third. The coach was impressed with my performance and advised that I must go and train at a better place if I have to grow into a better athlete. You need to lift your knees in a certain way while running. But even when I was running, it appeared as If I was walking. My coach Preetpal Kaur noticed and advised that I must train as a race walker. The gait is a God gift, it comes naturally to me.” [5]The Times of India
- In an interview, she discussed her family’s financial situation, and how her father took loans to arrange the funds needed to support her training and diet. She said,
Although I was part of the SAI hostel, I always needed extra money for fruits, nuts and shoes. My father is a farmer. We have two acres of land in which we grow rice and wheat, but whenever I needed money, he would find a way to send it to me. He used to take loans just so that I could train well. [6]Sportstar My father mortgaged his agricultural land. Much of the money was sent to me and a bit was spent on my grandfather’s treatment.” [7]The Times of India
- In 2013, she began her journey as a racewalker. Later, she enrolled at SAI in Badal, Muktsar district, Punjab, and started her training under the guidance of her coach, Pritpal Kaur.
- At the age of 15, she earned her first medal, a bronze, in a race walking competition at the state level.
- In 2018, she joined the Indian Army as a Sipahi.
- In 2018, she secured a job with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which provided her with the financial support she needed for her training, diet, supplements, and shoes. Her initial salary was Rs 21,000; however, she found it insufficient, especially because her shoes cost around Rs 17,000, which wore out nearly after a month. To invest further in her training, she took a personal loan of Rs 8 lakhs in 2019.
- Her career as a senior athlete began in 2020.
- In 2022, she secured the silver medal at the 9th National Open Race Walking Championship in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and set a national record in the 35 km race walk.
- She took part in the 36th National Games in Gujarat in October 2022 and secured second position.
- In February 2023, she established a new national record in the Women’s 35 Km Race Walking event at the 10th National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi, with a time of 2 hours, 57 minutes, and 54 seconds.
- She earned gold in the women’s 10 Km race walk event at the 71st All India Police Athletic Championship in 2023.
- She was selected to represent India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in 2023, participating in the inaugural 35km mixed team event alongside Ram Baboo. Together, they achieved a combined time of 5 hours, 51 minutes, and 14 seconds, earning a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games.
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