Anu Raghavan finally lifts her Asian Games bronze after eight years of waiting, after clocking 56.92 seconds in Jakarta 2018.
The medal had been awarded on paper only, after Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya was stripped for doping. No flag, no applause, just a revised result sheet.
Raghavan spent the last half‑decade funding her own training, traveling to national meets, while the state’s athlete support fell silent post‑pandemic.
A 32‑year‑old with a mother’s death and a broken bank account, she finally landed a sponsorship that let her focus on the track again.
Coach Manoj Kumari said, ‘She’s a fighter; she never gave up.’ Raghavan is eyeing the Asian Championships in Bangkok, hoping to add a gold to her bag.