O. P. Jaisha

O. P. Jaisha

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Category: Sports & Games

O. P. Jaisha Profile

  • Name:
  • O. P. Jaisha
  • Other Name:
  • Jaisha Orchatteri Puthiya Veetil
  • Born:
  • May 23, 1983
  • Spouse:
  • Gurmeet Singh

O. P. Jaisha Biography

O. P. Jaisha is an Indian track and field athlete from Kerala, who currently holds the National record of Marathon. She achieved this distinction with new National record time of 2:34:43 at the 2015 World Championships held at Beijing, breaking her own record set at the 2015 Mumbai Marathon. Thus she improved her previous national record timing of 2:37:29. In 2015 Mumbai Marathon, she broke a 19-year old national record. For her outstanding performance in World Championships held at Beijing, she has been qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016. Most recently news hit headlines that this National Champion belonging to the tribal area of Kerala lives in extreme poverty.  She is currently supported by JSW Sport. She is also a former national record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase.

 

Jaisha Orchatteri Puthiya Veetil is her full name. She was born on 23 May 1983 into a poor family. She belonged to Kalapetta in the tribal region of north Kerala’s Wayanad district. Her father became bedridden when she was only five and her mother slipped into the world of depression. She was the youngest of three sisters and poverty hit the family so hard that she had to eat mud sometimes – revealed Jaisha in an interview. Yet the mother didn’t allow her girls to do menial work. Their only source of income was - two cows they purchased after mortgaging the house.

 

It was her local coach who identified the real potential of this girl. He suggested her to join college and her coaching was continued by coach Unnikrishnan who bought her a pair of shoes. That was the beginning of her formal training and she conquered new heights in athletics. Her achievements opened her doors to receive training from many coaches. Jaisha won bronze medal at Doha-Asian games at the age of 21, which made her a star in the athletes’ circles. She used her prize money for the betterment of her family, sold house, took loans and married off her elder sisters. But the ultimate truth is that she lived in poverty. From a life riddled with difficulties, Jaisha stood up and heroically succeeded in all odds.

 

But she had to face a setback when she suffered respiratory problems and it affected her performances in international level championships as well. She got support from her husband Gurmeet Singh who brought her back to race. He even resigned his job and devoted his whole time to Jaisha’s career. Very soon she bounced back. It was just a new beginning.

 

With just 3 months training, she participated in Mumbai Marathon. Not only did she win the race, running 42km race in record time of 2:37:29 but also broke the 19 year old record on her debut. She won gold at National games in 10000 Meters in a record time of 33 minutes and 8.55 seconds. Jaisha has won several medals at National level and international level competitions.

 

Though she created outstanding national records at Asian Games, Asian Athletic Championship and Commonwealth Games, she is one among those unsung heroes of Indian athletes in the recent times. She is arguably the best athlete India has produced after P.T. Usha.

Published: N/A

Updated: February 03, 2016

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