Kiran Baliyan is an Indian shot put player who made history when she became the first Indian female shot put player to win a medal in the shot put event at the 2022 Asian Games after 72 years.
Wiki/Biography
Kiran Baliyan was born on Saturday, March 6, 1999 in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh (age 24; as of 2023). Her zodiac sign is Pisces. She received her Masters in Physical Education from Chaudhry Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Weight (approximately): 75kg
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Kiran Baliyan belongs to the Jat family of Meerut.
Parents and siblings
Kiran Baliyan’s father Satish Baliyan is a head constable with the Uttar Pradesh Traffic Police. Her mother’s name is Bobby Balyan. She has a younger brother.
Kiran Baliyan’s parents (centre) and other family members celebrate her victory
Profession
In 2015, Kiran started practicing shot put at Kailash Prakash Stadium in Meerut. In her first year of practice, she ran a distance of 12.49m with a 3kg putter (a heavy spherical ball) at the U18 Nationals in Ranchi and placed sixth in the shot put event. In 2016, she won the bronze medal in the U18 category of the National Youth Championship in Coimbatore with a score of 14.62m. In 2017, she increased her pressing weight from 3kg to 4kg. On May 6, 2017, she broke through the 15m mark for the first time in Obra and won the championship. In November 2017, Kiran won the gold medal in the under-20 category at the Junior Athletics Championships in Vijayawada with a throw of 14.54m. In December 2017, she won the gold again at Mangalagiri with a throw of 1437m.
Kiran Balyan practices shot put
On April 20, 2018, she crossed the 15-meter mark for the first time with a throw of 15.23m at the Indian U20 Championships in Coimbatore and won the gold medal. In May 2018, she made her international debut at the South Asian U20 Championship in Colombo and continued her winning streak by winning 5 consecutive championships. In June 2018, she finished fifth at the Asian Junior Championships in Gifu, Japan. In May 2019, she crossed the 16-meter mark for the first time with a throw of 16.87m at the Uttar Pradesh Allahabad District Championships. Her coach mentioned in an interview,
We initially had her training focus more on her lower body. Once she crossed the 16m mark, she felt more confident in mastering the changes. She would watch videos of shot putters like two-time Olympic medalist Joe Kovac, observe their moves, and practice such moves. “
In January 2020, she won the championship at the Indian University Championships in Mudbidri with a throw of 15.69 meters. On February 28, 2020, she won the gold medal with a throw of 15.10m at the Khelo India University Games held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. On March 15, 2021, she won the Patiala Federation Cup with a throw of 16.45m. On September 30, 2022, she set a national record with 17.14m at the Indian National Games in Gujarat and won the gold medal. In June 2023, she won the gold medal at the Indian Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar with a throw of 17.17m. On September 29, 2023, at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the 24-year-old made history and became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games shot put medal in 72 years; this was her Asian Games debut. She won the bronze medal with a time of 17.38m, behind Chinese Olympic champions Gong Lijiao (19.58m) and Song Jiayuan (18.92m).
Facts/Trivia
- She has a pet dog named Sonny.
- She was coached by Robin Singh at the Kailash Prakash Stadium in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, before starting training with the AFI (Athletics Federation of India).
- In 2015, Kiran’s father was sent to the Kailash Prakash Stadium as home defender. He often accompanied his daughter to the stadium, which got Kieran interested in javelin. Later, Kieran practiced javelin for a while, but because of her chubby shape, she often got injured. Her coach then decided to put her in the shot put, and she eventually turned pro.
- Since there were no female coaches, she often had difficulty stretching, so her mother stepped in to help her from time to time.
Kiran Baliyan stretches with her mother
- Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, she continued to practice because her father had a police pass and used it to take Kieran to practice before curfew time.
- She is the second Indian woman to win a medal in the shot put event at the Asian Games, after Barbara Webster, a British-Indian from Bombay, won bronze in 1951.
- In June 2022, she was selected as Sub-Inspector by Rajasthan Police through sports quota.
Kiran works as a sub-inspector along with her parents
- In September 2023, she set a personal best record with 17.92m at the Indian Grand Prix in Chandigarh.
- She is close friends with Indian discus thrower and former Asian and Commonwealth Games medalist Seema Punia, who suggested she join the national camp before she was even considered for the national team. Seema provided guidance to Kiran before the Asian Games, taking care of her diet and supplements and providing her with financial support whenever needed.
Seema congratulates Kiran for winning bronze medal in Asian Games 2022
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education