Anil Kumar Prakash
Encyclopedia
Anil Kumar Prakash (born August 28, 1978) is an India
n sprint
athlete from Kerala
. He holds the current 100 metres
national record of 10.30 s set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in New Delhi
on 24 August 2005. He also holds the current 200 metres
national record of 20.73 s set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Bangalore
on 17 July 2000.
Anil Kumar represented India in 4 x 100 metres relay
at 2000 Sydney Olympics
where his team clocked a time of 40.23 s in the first round. The team came seventh in their heats.
and studied at T.K. Madhava Memorial (TKMM) College in Nangiarkulangara
, Alappuzha district
. He took up decathlon
in his college days and later started thinking of competing in the 400 m hurdles after seeing the success of P. T. Usha. However, having discovered the joy of running fast, he finally settled in sprint
events. Anil's first big success came at Gandhinagar Open Nationals in 1997 when he became the fastest man in India. Injury kept him off the field for some time before success came again in 1999 at the Fifth National Games in Manipur when he clocked 10.58 s in the 100 metres and a 21.35 s in 200 metres. In the same year on 15 August, Kumar broke the National record for 100 m when he clocked 10.33 s while finishing behind Srilanka’s Chinthaka De Soysa (10.29) (Sreelankan National record) in an International Circuit Meet held at Chennai
. In 2000, he posted his personal best time of 10.21 s in Bangalore
but in the absence of doping control the time was not ratified by the Athletics Federation of India.
On 17 July 2000, Kumar broke the 200 metres
National record with an effort of 20.73 s at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Bangalore. He erased the then National record of 21.04 s in the name of Ajay Raj Singh, set in the Lucknow inter-State meet in 1999.
On 1 May 2002, in the National Circuit Athletic Meet at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi
, India's fastest runner equaled his own National record in 100 metres
with a time of 10.33 s. In the same month, Kumar came up with a commendable performance to win the 100 m dash in the second domestic circuit meet in Bangalore with an effort of 10.46 s. In May 2004, he won the 200 m sprint in the Federation Cup Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium when he clocked 21.02 s. Few weeks later he crowned again in the 200 m dash by clocking 20.84 s at the first ONGC National Athletics Circuit Meet in Delhi
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athlete from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He holds the current 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
national record of 10.30 s set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
on 24 August 2005. He also holds the current 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
national record of 20.73 s set at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
on 17 July 2000.
Anil Kumar represented India in 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
at 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
where his team clocked a time of 40.23 s in the first round. The team came seventh in their heats.
Athletic career
Anil Kumar was born in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and studied at T.K. Madhava Memorial (TKMM) College in Nangiarkulangara
Nangiarkulangara
Nangiarkulangara is a relatively small town situated near Haripad, Alappuzha district in the state of Kerala, India.Nangiarkulangara is the central point of three major towns in central Travancore. Roads from Mavelikara, Thrikkunnappuzha and Kayamkulam meet at this pivot point. It is also known for...
, Alappuzha district
Alappuzha district
Alappuzha is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala in India. It was formed as Alleppey District on August 17, 1957. The name of the district was officially changed to Alappuzha in 1990. The district is a widely known tourist destination, and is well known for its coir factories. Most of...
. He took up decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
in his college days and later started thinking of competing in the 400 m hurdles after seeing the success of P. T. Usha. However, having discovered the joy of running fast, he finally settled in sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
events. Anil's first big success came at Gandhinagar Open Nationals in 1997 when he became the fastest man in India. Injury kept him off the field for some time before success came again in 1999 at the Fifth National Games in Manipur when he clocked 10.58 s in the 100 metres and a 21.35 s in 200 metres. In the same year on 15 August, Kumar broke the National record for 100 m when he clocked 10.33 s while finishing behind Srilanka’s Chinthaka De Soysa (10.29) (Sreelankan National record) in an International Circuit Meet held at Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. In 2000, he posted his personal best time of 10.21 s in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
but in the absence of doping control the time was not ratified by the Athletics Federation of India.
On 17 July 2000, Kumar broke the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
National record with an effort of 20.73 s at the National Circuit Athletic Meet held in Bangalore. He erased the then National record of 21.04 s in the name of Ajay Raj Singh, set in the Lucknow inter-State meet in 1999.
On 1 May 2002, in the National Circuit Athletic Meet at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India's fastest runner equaled his own National record in 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
with a time of 10.33 s. In the same month, Kumar came up with a commendable performance to win the 100 m dash in the second domestic circuit meet in Bangalore with an effort of 10.46 s. In May 2004, he won the 200 m sprint in the Federation Cup Athletics Championships at the Nehru Stadium when he clocked 21.02 s. Few weeks later he crowned again in the 200 m dash by clocking 20.84 s at the first ONGC National Athletics Circuit Meet in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Achievements
| Representing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Asian Championships 2000 Asian Championships in Athletics - Men :- Women :-Medals table:-External links:*... |
Jakarta, Indonesia | 2nd | 100 m |