Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Nov 25: Indian Cyclist Deborah on 23 November 2014 won four gold medals at the Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship 2014, creating history. The Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship was held from 21 to 23 No vember 2014 at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi.
Deborah won two gold medals – in the women’s elite keirin (8 laps) and sprint finals (3 laps) – on the concluding day of the championship for an overall individual tally of four gold medals.
Earlier, Deborah had won a combined gold with Kezia Varghese in the team sprint final on 22 November 2014. She won the 500 metre time trial gold in women’s elite section on the opening day of the Track Asia Cup 2014.
Apart from this, in the championship India finished with medal tally of total 18 medals (5 Gold, 4 Silver and 9 Bronze).
19-year-old Deborah is a tribal girl from Andaman and Nicobar Islands who survived the 2004 Tsunami that devastated the islands. She was trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Andaman and has emerged as one of the rising stars of Indian cycling.
Deborah has already received Lt. Governor’s Commendation Certificate in 2013 Republic Day. Now after this achievement she deserves Arjuna Award and for this the Administration must propose her name and fight for it.
The Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. Instituted in 1961, the award carries a cash prize of INR 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll.
Till now only three people in India has received Arjuna Award in Cycling they are Amar Singh (1975), Ms. M. Mahapatra (1978-79) and A.R. Arthna (1983). Deborah being first women to win four Gold Medals in international event certainly deserves this honour.
