New Delhi: K Subramaniam, an 86-year-old athlete from Pollachi, a small town in Tamil Nadu, has won four gold medals at the 22nd Asian Masters Athletics Meet held in Tarlac, Philippines. Subramaniam, who is popularly known as Subbu in the athletics fraternity, topped the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and javelin throw events in the above 85 years category in the competition that took place from November 8 to November 12.
Subramaniam, who has been associated with athletics since childhood, said that he was passionate about sports and fitness. He said that he traveled to the Philippines at his own expense to participate in the meet, as he did not receive any financial support from the government or any sports body. He said that he was happy to represent India and Tamil Nadu at the international level and bring laurels to the country and the state.
Subramaniam’s remarkable achievement was praised by Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who posted a congratulatory message on the social media platform ‘X’. He wrote, “My hearty congratulations to K Subramaniam (86) of Chennai for winning four gold medals in the 22nd Asian Masters Athletics Meet held in Tarlac, Philippines. This 80-year-old player has proved that age is not a hindrance to achieving great achievements in sports. The Tamil Nadu government is proud of the victory of this senior athlete. May his excellent performances continue in future tournaments.”
Stalin also said that the state government would soon felicitate Subramaniam for his outstanding feat and provide him with adequate incentives and recognition. He said that Subramaniam was an inspiration for the younger generation of athletes and sportspersons in Tamil Nadu and urged them to follow in his footsteps and excel in their respective fields.
