New Delhi, March 4: Manpreet Kaur is recognized as one of India’s leading shot put athletes. She has won medals for the country on international platforms, showcasing her immense talent.
Born on March 5, 1990, in Patiala, Punjab, Manpreet hails from a modest family background. Despite facing numerous challenges, she carved out a name for herself in the Sports world. Her interest in athletics was inspired 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 with the death of her father. At 16, her mother suffered a stroke. Despite these dual challenges, Kaur remained determined to achieve greatness in sports.
In 2007, she secured 9th place at the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships held in Ostrava. After a three-year hiatus, 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 Championships 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. The following year, at the Asian Grand Prix in Jinhua, China, she threw 18.86 meters, winning gold and achieving the best performance of the 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, resulting in the annulment of her gold medal and national record.
After her suspension ended in 2022, she made a triumphant return, winning a gold medal at the national championships. Currently, she works with Indian Railways while balancing her job responsibilities with her athletic career.
