Arjuna Award  (1994)

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (1995-1996)

Padma Shri (1999)

Karnam Malleswari is an Indian weightlifter and Olympic award winner. She was born on 1^st June 1975 in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. Though she originated from a conservative background, she excelled in sports since her childhood days. With the encouragement of her mother, she could get trained at the gym.

When she was 13 years old, she represented her state for the first time in weightlifting. In 1992, she took part in Asian Championships in Chiangmai in Thailand and won silver medal in that. With strong dedication, concentration and will power she was able to achieve in this game that causes aching of muscles and heaving of arms.

Her first major success came when she got two gold medals and one bronze medal at World Championship conducted in Turkey in 1994. She came second in the competition but after few days when the first place winner, Wang Sheng of China was disqualified for using drugs, she came to the first place.

She set a new record in 54 kg class by lifting 113 kg and won three gold medals at the Asian championship in Korea. She was married in 1997 and moved to Yamuna Nagar in Haryana and took a short break in the sports. After a short break she participated in 1998 Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 and won silver medal. However she lost in the 1999 Athens World Weight Lifting Championships. She won bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney thus becoming the first ever Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting.

In the year 1995-96 she received the prestigious sports honor of India, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in the year 1994 and Padma Shri award in 1999. In her career that spanned over a decade, she has won eleven gold medals and three silver medals and one Olympic bronze medal. She won in the National Championship for nine consecutive years in 52 kg category twice and 54 kg category seven times.