As 31-year-old Annu Rani gears up for the women’s javelin qualification on 7 August, 2024,
at the Paris Olympics, let’s take a closer look at the life of this eight-time national champion.
In the village of Bahadarpur, Meerut, Annu grew up in a farming family with a love for cricket,
where she amused herself by throwing cricket balls.
Her brother Upendra was impressed by her strength during a cricket match.
I was a runner myself but I was always fascinated with javelin.
Whenever I went to local meets I used to watch the event.
Annu used to play cricket with us and had a strong arm
I asked her to try javelin,” Upendra shared in an interview.
So he began coaching Annu by having her throw sticks in an empty sugarcane field.
With no means to buy a javelin, Annu fashioned her own in 2010 when she turned 18