Indian Famous Sports Person Govindan Lakshmanan

On June 5, 1990, Govindan Lakshmanan was born in the Sokkurani village of Pudukottai district located in Tamil Nadu. His father was a hard-working farmer who unfortunately died in an accident when the little boy was six years old. Jayalakshmi, the mother of the child, was a daily wage worker and single-handled looked after three children. She worked day-to-day for feeding and supporting the kids in the misfortune. Even in the time of crises, the loving mum encouraged the children to follow their dream. She played an essential part in making her son an athlete despite not knowing anything regarding the sport.

Loganathan, who was the kind neighbour of the little one and the owner of the Youth Sports Club, adopted the poor child to develop his future. The training of Govindan Lakshmanan started at the age of sixteen at the club. He ran barefoot with a talented girl Surya, who was the daughter of Loganathan, on the roads of Pudukottai for practising long-distance running. The emerging runner worked hard every day with the determination to make the country proud. The desire of being a famous sportsperson in India was very vital for the teenager, and so, the boy was punctual about the coaching.

Govindan Lakshmanan attained the first position in the 5 km at the Indian Championships in 2013 held in Ranchi, Jarkhand. The athlete completed the half marathon organised between Vasai and Virar in 1 hour 7 minutes and 6 secs, reaching the finishing line first. In 2015, he made his mark by completing the 5000 meters race in 13:35:69s and winning the Bronze at Asian Championships in Wuhan, China. At the same event, he grabbed a silver medal by finishing 1000 meters in 29:42:81s. The gifted star achieved first in national and state tournaments in the 5 km and 10 km categories in 2015 that are Indian National Games, Indian Championships, Interstate Championships, Indian Inter-Services Championships and National Open Athletics Championships. Each victory encouraged the emerging player to practice more and never look back. With the passing of days, his dedication towards running increased, and he began to set new targets for himself.

Govindan Lakshmanan accomplished Indian Inter-State Championships and Federation Cup Athletics in 5 km and 10 km category in the leading place. The long-distance runner number one position in 5000 meters at Indian Grand Prix in Bangalore, Karnataka. He successfully reached the finishing line leaving other competitors behind in the 5 km and the 10 km groups in Inter-Services Championships organised in Delhi. The famous player of India won the 10000 meters and 5000 meters at the Indian Open Championship held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The youngster stood first in the 25 km race organised by Tata Steel Kolkata on 18 December 2016, which he completed in 1 hour, 17 minutes and 16 seconds.

In 2017, Govindan Lakshmanan won a gold medal in a 5 km run at Asian Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. In the same tournament, he also won gold in 10000 meters which were completed by him in 29:55.87s. The victory made him the third Indian to receive a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships since 1993. He is the first athlete in India to achieve gold medals in the 5000 meters and 10000 meters category in the Asian Athletics Championship. Subsequently, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, awarded twenty Lakhs cash prizes respectively for his skill and efforts. The famous Indian sports player made the country proud with his outstanding performance and perseverance. The capable competitor attained a gold medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 3000 meters organised in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The brilliant player successfully accomplished the 5000-meter race at the 57th National Open Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium in the year 2017.

Govindan Lakshmanan mastered the sport with his sweat and willpower. The athlete never looked back after the first achievement and worked hard each day for fulfilling his target. He is an inspiration for those who take a step behind after facing an obstacle. The player has taught everyone to grab every opportunity and be determined to attain them.