Olympian and former Asian shot put champion Om Prakash Singh retires
The former national record holder won the national championships thrice and also won the Asian Indoor Championships in 2014.
Shot putter Om Prakash Singh Karhana, a former Asian champion who represented India at the London 2012 Olympics, has retired.
Born on January 11, 1987, in Gurgaon, Om Prakash Singh began his career as a basketball player but shifted to track and field in 2004. The move bore fruit in 2005 when he became junior champion, setting a national junior record with a 19.36m shot put throw.
At the senior level, Om Prakash won gold at the Asian Championships in 2009 and followed it up with two bronze medals in the 2011 and 2013 editions. Om Prakash also went on to clinch a gold medal at Asian Indoor Championships in 2014.
Standing tall at 6’7”, Om Prakash Singh became only the third Indian shot putter then, after Shakti Singh (20.60m) and Bahadur Singh Sagoo (20.40m), to cross the 20m-mark.
Om Prakash first crossed the 20m-mark at the inter-state championships in 2009 with a throw of 20.02m and improved it to a national record 20.69m in Hungary to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics.
At the London Olympics, much was anticipated from Om Prakash Singh but he managed to hit just 19.86m, far from his personal best, to finish 18th in the 40-man field.
“Today marks the end of a 20-year journey which has had its share of ups and downs and also bittersweet memories,” Om Prakash Singh posted in Hindi on Twitter last month. “I thank and pay my respects to all those people who have contributed to my success and helped me achieve all that I have in my career.”
Om Prakash also competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing sixth in the shot put competition.
Now 35, Om Prakash Singh was one of the top shot put throwers from India during his peak years and won the national crown thrice - 2008, 2009, and 2013.