Golden Girl Ashwini Accorded Overwhelming Welcome at Airport
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Nov 30: Ashwini Shetty, who brought laurels to the country by winning individual gold medal in 400 m hurdles at the 16th Asian Games, received overwhelming welcome at the Mangalore International Airport on Tuesday, November 30 at 3.45 pm.
Her marvelous achievements have brought honour to the neighborhood of Akkunje, her native, and to the nation at large. She is back in native after 14 months of stay away from home. She was welcomed with a lamp by her parents and family.
Speaking at the airport Ashwini expressed her happiness regarding the memorable Asian Games campaign where she won two gold medals - in 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. She said the support of her coach, her father Chidananda Shetty, mother Yashoda Shetty, and sister Deepthi made everything possible.
She said that her next focus is on 2012 Olympics at London where she aims to achieve similar results. She ran the third leg of the 4x400 meter relay event at the Commonwealth Games, ultimately helping India win the gold by recording a timing of 3: 27:77.
She had stayed for three years in a sports school sponsored by the department of youth services and sports in Bangalore where coach Prashanth and Manjunath spotted her talent. She then bagged scholarship for a training programme in Tata Athletics Academy in Jamshedpur. National level coach R S Sidhu noticed her at a national meet and selected her for the national camp.
Ashwini feels that the support extended by her family, friends and the government helped her in achieving her goal.
However, it was surprising as well as disappointing to note that none of the district administration officers was present at the airport to welcome her.
Udupi: Jubilant Crowd Welcomes Ashwini, Felicitation by Dist Administration
Report and Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD)
Udupi, Nov 30: Ashwini Shetty was given a grand welcome at Kinnimulky and taken in an open jeep by a jubilant crowd. Later Ashwini and her parents were felicitated at a function held near Service Bus Stand here on Tuesday evening.
MLA Raghupati Bhat, deputy commissioner Hemalata P, zilla panchayat CEO Rajashekar, zilla panchayat president Gladys D’Almeida, town councillor Kiran Kumar, district headquarter assistant Prabhakar, district Athletics Association president Balakrishna Hegde were present.
The public felicitation of Ashwini Shetty was organized in association with the district Athletics Association, district administration, youth and sports department, district Nagarika Samiti and town council.
Thousands of people including schoolchildren participated in the procession and the felicitation function.