Joseph Abraham
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ganapathiplackal Abraham (born 11 September 1981) is an India
n track and field athlete from Kerala
. He holds the current 400 metre hurdles national record of 49.51 s set during the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
in Osaka
on 26 August 2007. At Osaka, Abraham became the first Indian male athlete to clear the opening round of an event in the World Athletics Championships
when he reached the 400 m hurdles semifinals. He also won the 400 m hurdles gold medal at 2010 Guangzhou
Asian Games.
of Kerala
, Abraham made a steady progress in intermediate hurdles. His first sub-52 came in 2003 and in the following year he clocked a time of 51.98 s. His best time in 2005 was 50.87 s. His first national record came at the 2006 National inter-State athletics championship in Chennai
. He broke the existing national record of 50.39 s held by Patlavath Shankar with time of 50.22 s. On 12 May 2007 at the 13th Federation Cup Athletics Championship in Kolkata
, he broke his own record of 50.22 s in the 400 m hurdles by clocking 50.04 s to win the gold. Joseph's first sub-50 performance came in the Guwahati
Asian Grand Prix circuit athletics in June 2007. He won the silver by setting the new national record of 49.52 s while coming second behind Chinese
Meng Yan
.
In June 2009, Abraham achieved the qualifying norm of 49.80 seconds for the Berlin World Championships
, at the Indian Grand Prix meet in Chennai
by clocking 49.59 seconds. Later in the same year, he won a Silver medal in 400 m hurdles (with a time of 49.96 seconds) at the 2009 Asian Championships in Athletics held at Guangzhou
, China
.
On 25 November 2010, Abraham became the first Indian to win individual Gold Medal at 400m Hurdles at any Asian Games
. He won the gold medal at 2010 Guangzhou
Asian Games clocking a time of 49.96 seconds.
400 m
Abraham also competes in 400 metres
. His personal best for the 400 metres is 46.70 seconds set at 2006 Open National athletics championships in New Delhi
.
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 and field athlete from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He holds the current 400 metre hurdles national record of 49.51 s set during the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
on 26 August 2007. At Osaka, Abraham became the first Indian male athlete to clear the opening round of an event in the World Athletics Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
when he reached the 400 m hurdles semifinals. He also won the 400 m hurdles gold medal at 2010 Guangzhou
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
Asian Games.
Athletic career
Born in Kottayam districtKottayam district
Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Abraham made a steady progress in intermediate hurdles. His first sub-52 came in 2003 and in the following year he clocked a time of 51.98 s. His best time in 2005 was 50.87 s. His first national record came at the 2006 National inter-State athletics championship in 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...
. He broke the existing national record of 50.39 s held by Patlavath Shankar with time of 50.22 s. On 12 May 2007 at the 13th Federation Cup Athletics Championship 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...
, he broke his own record of 50.22 s in the 400 m hurdles by clocking 50.04 s to win the gold. Joseph's first sub-50 performance came in the Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
Asian Grand Prix circuit athletics in June 2007. He won the silver by setting the new national record of 49.52 s while coming second behind Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
Meng Yan
Meng Yan
Meng Yan is a Chinese athlete who specialises in the 400 metre hurdles.He won the silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games. He competed at the 2008 Olympic Games without reaching the final....
.
In June 2009, Abraham achieved the qualifying norm of 49.80 seconds for the Berlin World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, at the Indian Grand Prix meet in 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...
by clocking 49.59 seconds. Later in the same year, he won a Silver medal in 400 m hurdles (with a time of 49.96 seconds) at the 2009 Asian Championships in Athletics held at Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
On 25 November 2010, Abraham became the first Indian to win individual Gold Medal at 400m Hurdles at any 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...
. He won the gold medal at 2010 Guangzhou
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
Asian Games clocking a time of 49.96 seconds.
400 m
Abraham also competes in 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...
. His personal best for the 400 metres is 46.70 seconds set at 2006 Open National athletics championships in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.