Shiny Abraham Biography

Shiny Wilson (nee Abraham) was born on May 8, 1965 at Thodupuzha village in Idukki district of Kerala. A National Champion for 14 years in the 800 metres category, she represented India in six consecutive Asian Track & Field Meets starting with Jakarta in 1985.

Shiny got attracted towards athletics early on in life. She joined the sports division in Kottayam alongwith PT Usha and M D Valsamma under the tutelage of NIS coach P. J. Devesla. Thereafter she underwent training at the G.V. Raja Sports School in Thiruvanthapuram. She represented India in four Olympics and three Asian Games. In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Shiny became the first Indian woman to enter the semi-finals of an Olympic event. She was a part of the 4X400 relay squad, which while setting an Asian record, entered the final at the 1984 Olympic Games. She also captained the Indian Contingent at the 1992 Games.

In one of the saddest moments in her career, Shiny was disqualified during the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul when she was leading the field. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she became the first Indian women to be given the honour of being a flag-bearer for India. In one of the highlights of her career, at the Asian Track & Field Meet at Delhi in 1989, inspite of being pregnant, she came second in the 800 metres behind Sun Sumei of China, but was awarded the title when Sun Sumei tested positive. In the Asian Track and Field meets, she won a total of 7 Gold Medals, 6 Silver Medals and 2 Bronze Medals.

She tied the nuptial knot with former international swimmer and Arjuna awardee, Cherian Wilson. For her on-field achievements, she was honored with the Arjuna Award in 1985, the Birla Award in 1996 besides the Padma Shri in 1998.