Valsamma Biography 
Manathoor Devasia Valsamma, shortly known as Valsamma is a retired Indian athlete. She was the second Indian woman to win an individual Gold medal at the Asian Games after Kamaljit Sandhu and the first to win it on Indian soil. She won the Gold medal in the 400 m hurdles in an Indian and Asian record time of 58.47 seconds at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the 1982 Asian Games. She was also a team member of 4 X 400 metres relay team winning silver medal for India. She received Arjuna Award in 1982 and Padma Shri the following year for her contributions to Indian athletics. She also received G. V. Raja cash award from Kerala Government.
Valsamma was born on 21st October 1960 in Ottathai, Kannur district, Kerala. She started participating in athletics since her school days. But she seriously thought about it as a career while studying at Mercy College, Palakkad. She won her first medal in 100 metres hurdles and pentathlon in the Inter-University Championship at Pune in 1979, representing Kerala. She was enrolled in Southern Railway and given coaching by A. K. Kutty. In 1981, at the Inter-State Meet at Bangalore, she accumulated medals. She won 5 medals including hurdles, flat race and relay. In 1982 she became the national champion over 400-metre hurdles with Asian record.
For the first time when Indian woman entered finals of 4x400 relay games at Olympics Los Angeles, she was one among the team members, where the team could finish only in the seventh position. She participated in Asian games successively for four seasons from 1982 to 1994. Media has talked a lot about professional rivalry between Valsamma and P. T. Usha. Together, along with Shiny Wilson forms the successful athletic trio from Kerala, who participated from India during the same period and has given India a little appreciation in the athletic map of the world.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 29, 2014
