Shiny Abraham
Shiny Kurisingal Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shiny Abraham May 8, 1965 Thodupuzha, Idukki district, Kerala, India |
| Other names | Shiny Abraham |
| Occupation(s) | Middle-distance runner, athletics selector |
| Years active | 1980s–1990s (as athlete) |
| Known for | Indian national 800m champion (14 times), first Indian female flag bearer at Olympics, Asian Games medalist |
Shiny Kurisingal Wilson (née Abraham; born 8 May 1965) is a former Indian middle-distance runner who clinched the national title in the 800 metres fourteen times. Over her career, she donned the Indian colors in more than 75 international competitions and uniquely represented Asia in four editions of the World Cup. Wilson took part in six successive Asian Track & Field Championships beginning in 1985, where she amassed a total of seven golds, five silvers, and two bronze medals. Furthermore, she secured 18 gold and two silver medals across seven South Asian Federation (SAF) Games.
Early life
Shiny was born on 8 May 1965 in Thodupuzha, located in Kerala’s Idukki district. Her athletic journey began after enrolling in the sports division at Kottayam, where she trained with prominent athletes such as PT Usha and M D Valsamma under the guidance of NIS coach P. J Devasia. Subsequently, she attended G.V. Raja Sports School in Trivandrum before pursuing further education at Alphonsa College in Palai.
Currently, she contributes to Indian athletics as a selector for the national team and serves as a government-appointed member on the selection committee.
Career
Shiny Abraham’s athletic tenure unfolded alongside PT Usha’s, with both representing India at the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi. She had already claimed the national 800 metres title a year prior to those Games.
At the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, despite leading her race, she faced disqualification for cutting into the inside lane. During the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she earned the distinction of being India’s first female flag bearer.
One of her most notable achievements occurred at the 1989 Asian Track & Field Championships in Delhi when, though pregnant, she finished second in the 800m event but was later declared champion after the original winner failed a doping test. After becoming a mother, she broke new ground by recording a time of 1:59.85 in the 800m at the 1995 South Asian Federation Games held in Chennai.
In December 1988, Shiny married Wilson Cherian, who is a swimmer.
Her accolades include receiving the Arjuna Award in 1985, the Birla Award in 1996, the Padma Shri in 1998, and being recognized among Asia’s Top Ten Athletes with the Chinese Journalists Award in 1991.
Participation
Shiny Abraham represented India at four Olympic Games: Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), and Atlanta (1996). Although she did not secure an Olympic medal, her collaboration with PT Usha helped India reach an unexpected Women’s 4x400 metre relay final during the 1984 Games.
She also led the Indian team as captain during the 1992 Olympics.
Across three Asian Games appearances, she earned one gold medal, two silvers, and one bronze. Her performance at Asian Track & Field meets resulted in seven golds, six silvers, and two bronzes.
Having competed internationally over seventy-five times for India, she was the first Indian female athlete to advance to the Olympic semi-finals in the women's 800 metres and captained as well as served as flag bearer for India at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Awards
- Honored with the Arjuna award in 1984
- Received the Chinese journalist award from the Chinese Government in 1991 for exceptional sports achievement
- Awarded India's fourth highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri, in 1998
- Presented with the Birla Award also in 1998
- Represented Asia through a paper presentation recognized by UNICEF Los Angeles in 2002
- Conferred Lifetime Achievement Award by CNN IBN Delhi in 2009
- Received Lifetime Achievement Award from JFW Achievers Award Chennai edition in 2012
- Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by Sun Networks at their Women Achievers in Sports event in 2012
See also
External links
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for India
- Sportswomen from Kerala
- Athletes from Kerala
- World Athletics Championships athletes for India
- Asian Athletics Championships winners
- Asian Athletics Championships medalists
- Recipients of the Arjuna Award
- Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports
- Indian women sprinters
- Indian women middle-distance runners
- 20th-century Indian sportswomen
- People from Idukki district
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Asian Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Asian Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Asian Games
- Asian Games gold medalists for India
- Asian Games silver medalists for India
- Asian Games bronze medalists for India
- Medalists at the 1986 Asian Games
- Medalists at the 1994 Asian Games
- Olympic women sprinters
- Asian Games athletes for India
- Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Asian Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Asian Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)