Bhogeswar Baruah Biography 
Bhogeswar Baruah is a legendary athlete from the state of Assam. He is a living legend to people of Assam, as he created many sports records for Assamese people. He was one of the first Assamese to win gold at an international event, when he won a gold medal in an 800-metre running event of 1966 Asian Games. In his honour, Assam people celebrate his birthday every year as "Abhiruchi Sports Day". His birthday falls on 3 September. He is also the first Assamese to get the Arjuna award.
This legendary athlete from the state of Assam was born on 3 September 1940. Sibsagar is his hometown. He made Assam proud by winning individual gold at an 800-metre running event of 1966 Asian Games. It was for the first time a person from Assam won an international gold medal in any form of sports, and thus gold medal achievement became a historic moment of his people in 1966.
To promote sports and to share his experiences, he started a sports academy at Dimow in Sivasagar in the early 90s. He thought of giving training to aspiring athletes to achieve great goals. But he was forced to close it after three years of operation due to lack of funds. Though he requested funds from government, he didn’t receive. The boys whom he trained there received jobs with Assam police and other sectors, based on their excellence in sports.
For his overall contributions towards the field of sports, especially athletics, Government of India honoured him with Arjuna Award in 1966, soon after his historic gold medal win at Asiad. He was the first person from Assam to receive this honour.
Published: February 15, 2019
Updated: February 15, 2019
