GV Raja Award 2010 for athlete Joseph Abraham
The prestigious GV Raja Award of 2010 has been bagged by track and field athlete Joseph G Abraham. His performances of last year, including the Gold winning one in the Guangshou Asiad, fetched him the award. The award carries a sum of Rs 1 Lakh, a certificate and a plaque.
The track and field athlete Joseph Ganapathiplackal Abraham, 30, has been chosen for the GV Raja Award, the most prestigious sports award of Kerala. The award instituted by the Kerala Sports Council carries a prize money of Rs. 1 lakh, a plaque and a citation. The award was declared by the Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar in press meet.
Born in Kottayam district, Joseph Abraham holds the national record in 400 m hurdles (49.51s) set in the 2007 Athletics World Championships at Osaka, Japan. That performance also made him the first Indian male athlete to get through the first round of World Athletic Championship. Abraham, an Arjuna Award recipient (2010), also won the 400m hurdles gold at 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, what brought him the award. He was also the member of Indian 4*100 m relay team that won silver medal in 2006 Doha Asiad.
Joseph is now working as the senior TTR in Indian Railway. He is married to Smitha, a former athlete. The sports lovers hope he would fulfil the wish of an Olympic Medal, in the upcoming London Olympics.
From next year onwards, the GV Raja award will be given to male and female athletes separately, the sports minister said. Padmini Selvan, Sports Council President and P S Abdul Razaq, Sports Council Secretary, were also present in the press meet.
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