Pinki Pramanik
Encyclopedia
Pinki Pramanik (born 10 April 1986 in Purulia
) is an India
n track athlete
who specialises in the 400 metres
and 800 metres
. She has had much success with the national 4×400 metres relay team, winning silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
, gold at the 2006 Asian Games
, and gold at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games
. She completed at triple of gold medals at the 2006 South Asian Games
, winning the 400 and 800 m events, as well as the relay.
Her first success was winning two bronzes at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
when she was 17 years old. She was chosen to represent Asia
at the IAAF World Cup. Domestically, she has won three times at the All-India Open National Championships. A series of injuries and a car crash has meant that she has seldom competed since 2007.
where she reached the 800 m semifinals. She won the 400 m race at the All-India Open National Championships soon after. She set a record at the National Junior Athletics meeting by running 54.92 seconds in the 400 m, although some confusion over whether she was born in 1986 or 1987 dampened proceedings.
. In late 2004, an incident in which a group of youths planted a gun on her and called police put her career at risk. However, eye witnesses testified that the youths had harassed her and had placed the gun in her bag; she was released without charge. She took three months off from competition to recover from the stress of the incident.
Another medal came indoors when she took gold as part of the 4×400 metres relay team at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games
with Iyleen Samantha, Santhi Soundarajan
, and Mandeep Kaur
. She returned to compete at the All-India Open National Championships, and came away with 400 and 800 m golds. The 2006 Commonwealth Games
was her first appearance at the world senior level and she performed well, reaching the 800 m semi-finals and recording a personal best of 2:03.83, and winning a silver medal for India with Rajwinder Kaur
, Chitra Soman, and Manjeet Kaur in the 4×400 m relay.
At Bangalore
's Asian Grand Prix meeting in May that year she won the 800 m and improved her 400 m personal best, winning in 52.46 seconds. A few months later she marked herself out as one of her region's best runners at the 2006 South Asian Games
: she won the 400 and 800 m gold medals and headed the relay team for a third gold. However, she was disappointed that she had not improved her time and said that she expected greater competition from the Sri Lanka
n athletes.
She was selected to represent her continent at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
and finished in seventh place for Asia
in the 800 m race. She attended her first Asian Games
later that year, competing the 400 m and the relay. She reached the individual final, but just missed out on medal, finishing two hundredths of a second behind Japan
's Asami Tanno
. Greater success came in the relay: running with Sathi Geetha
, Chitra Soman and Manjeet Kaur, the women's team took India's only athletics gold of Games.
in Kolkata
. She set her sights on winning at the 2008 Indian Inter-State championships in order to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics
. However, she was struck by injury again and missed the championships due to a hamstring
problem.
In early 2010 Pramanik inaugurated a local competition, the Purulia Athletic Championship. On the way home, she collided with another vehicle and suffered deep cuts to her face and knees. Although her condition was not serious, she suffered from much back pain and remained in hospital for further treatment.
Purulia
Purulia , also spelled Puruliya, also known as "Manbhum City", is a city located in West Bengal state, India, and was constituted in 1876. It is the location of the district headquarters of Purulia district. Purulia is located on the north of the Kasai river and is a major road and railway...
) is an India
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 track athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
who specialises in the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
and 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
. She has had much success with the national 4×400 metres relay team, winning silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme...
, gold at the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
, and gold at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games
2005 Asian Indoor Games
The 1st Asian Indoor Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand fromNovember 12, 2005 to November 19, 2005.-Emblem:For the “Logo” of the 1st Asian Indoor Games itself, it comprises 9 sparkling stars, reflecting the opinions of the Asian people at large:...
. She completed at triple of gold medals at the 2006 South Asian Games
2006 South Asian Games
The 2006 South Asian Games were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from August 18 to August 28, 2006 in the Sugathadasa Stadium with more than 2000 sportspersons competing in the record 20 disciplines of Sports.The 10th edition of SAF Games also marked the debut for Afghanistan...
, winning the 400 and 800 m events, as well as the relay.
Her first success was winning two bronzes at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The Asian Indoor Athletics Championships were held for the first time in 2004. Run by the Asian Athletics Association, the championships take place biennially in different cities all over Asia.-Editions:-All-time medal count:- External links :*...
when she was 17 years old. She was chosen to represent Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
at the IAAF World Cup. Domestically, she has won three times at the All-India Open National Championships. A series of injuries and a car crash has meant that she has seldom competed since 2007.
Career
Pramanik made her mark at junior level when she set four junior state records in 2002. She made her world debut at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2003 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada from the 9th to the 13th of July.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:-External links:*...
where she reached the 800 m semifinals. She won the 400 m race at the All-India Open National Championships soon after. She set a record at the National Junior Athletics meeting by running 54.92 seconds in the 400 m, although some confusion over whether she was born in 1986 or 1987 dampened proceedings.
International medals
She stepped up to the senior level the following year and won two bronzes in the 400 m and 800 m races at the 2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was an international indoor athletics event took place in Tehran, Iran, between 6 and 8 February.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Participating nations:...
. In late 2004, an incident in which a group of youths planted a gun on her and called police put her career at risk. However, eye witnesses testified that the youths had harassed her and had placed the gun in her bag; she was released without charge. She took three months off from competition to recover from the stress of the incident.
Another medal came indoors when she took gold as part of the 4×400 metres relay team at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games was held in Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand from 13 November to 15 November 2005.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-References:*...
with Iyleen Samantha, Santhi Soundarajan
Santhi Soundarajan
Santhi Soundarajan is an Indian athlete who competes in the middle distance track events...
, and Mandeep Kaur
Mandeep Kaur
Mandeep Kaur is an Indian athlete who mainly competes in the 400 meters. She competed at the 2008 Olympic Games, she failed to pass the first round...
. She returned to compete at the All-India Open National Championships, and came away with 400 and 800 m golds. The 2006 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme...
was her first appearance at the world senior level and she performed well, reaching the 800 m semi-finals and recording a personal best of 2:03.83, and winning a silver medal for India with Rajwinder Kaur
Rajwinder Kaur
Rajwinder Kaur is an Indian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.Kaur finished seventh in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics, together with teammates Satti Geetha, K. M. Beenamol and Chitra K. Soman. This team, only with Manjeet Kaur running instead of Geetha, had set a...
, Chitra Soman, and Manjeet Kaur in the 4×400 m relay.
At 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...
's Asian Grand Prix meeting in May that year she won the 800 m and improved her 400 m personal best, winning in 52.46 seconds. A few months later she marked herself out as one of her region's best runners at the 2006 South Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 South Asian Games
At the 2006 South Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 23 August to 27 August 2006. A total of 35 events were contested, of which 20 by male and 15 by female athletes....
: she won the 400 and 800 m gold medals and headed the relay team for a third gold. However, she was disappointed that she had not improved her time and said that she expected greater competition from the Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n athletes.
She was selected to represent her continent at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
and finished in seventh place for Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in the 800 m race. She attended her first Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
later that year, competing the 400 m and the relay. She reached the individual final, but just missed out on medal, finishing two hundredths of a second behind Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Asami Tanno
Asami Tanno
née Tanno is a Japanese sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. She is the Japanese record holder in the event, and has also broken the national record in the 4×400 metres relay on multiple occasions...
. Greater success came in the relay: running with Sathi Geetha
Sathi Geetha
Sathi Geetha is an Indian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.Geetha finished seventh in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics, together with teammates K. M. Beenamol, Chitra K. Soman and Rajwinder Kaur. Geetha also won a silver medal at the 2005 Asian Championships in a personal...
, Chitra Soman and Manjeet Kaur, the women's team took India's only athletics gold of Games.
Injuries
A severe foot injury caused Pramanik to miss much of the 2007 season. She had returned to fitness by August and began competing at regional meeting and recorded 11.07 seconds in the 100 metres100 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...
in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. She set her sights on winning at the 2008 Indian Inter-State championships in order to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. However, she was struck by injury again and missed the championships due to a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
problem.
In early 2010 Pramanik inaugurated a local competition, the Purulia Athletic Championship. On the way home, she collided with another vehicle and suffered deep cuts to her face and knees. Although her condition was not serious, she suffered from much back pain and remained in hospital for further treatment.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 m | 52.46 | 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... , India |
22 May 2006 |
| 800 m | 2:02.49 | 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... , India |
5 November 2006 |
| 400 m (indoor) | 53.89 | Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi.... , Thailand |
13 November 2005 |
| 800 m (indoor) | 2:15.06 | Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... , Iran |
6 February 2004 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.