https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=P._U._ChitraP. U. Chitra - Revision history2026-10-29T12:15:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=P._U._Chitra&diff=523471&oldid=prevNeeraj Singh Creator: Made a stub.2025-10-17T09:28:18Z<p>Made a stub.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian middle-distance runner|bot=PearBOT 5}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}<br />
{{Infobox sportsperson<br />
| image = PU Chitra 2017.jpg<br />
| caption = Chitra at the 2017 Asian Championships<br />
| birth_name = Palakkeezhil Unnikrishnan Chithra<ref>{{cite web |author=Shahina, K. K. |title=PU Chithra: The Girl With Borrowed Shoes |url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/sports/pu-chithra-the-girl-with-borrowed-shoes |publisher=[[Open (Indian magazine)|Open]] |accessdate=5 August 2018 |date=4 August 2017}}</ref><br />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|6|09|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Palakkad]], [[Kerala]], India<br />
| height = 160 cm<ref name=ind>[https://en.asiangames2018.id/athletes/athlete/PALAKEEZH-UNNIKRISHNAN-Chitra-3000714/ Chitra Palakeezh Unnikrishnan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904191928/https://en.asiangames2018.id/athletes/athlete/PALAKEEZH-UNNIKRISHNAN-Chitra-3000714/ |date=4 September 2018 }}. asiangames2018.id</ref><br />
| weight = 48 kg<br />
| sport = Track and field<br />
| coach = Nikolai Snesarev (national)<br>N.S. Sijin (personal)<ref name=ind/><br />
| event = 800–5000 m<br />
| pb = 800 m – 2:12.21 (2013)<br>1500 m – 4:13.52 (2019)<br>3000 m – 9:51.13 (2013)<br>5000 m – 16:36.91 (2015)<ref>[https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/india/pu-chithra-014448737 P. U. Chitra]. IAAF</ref><br />
| medaltemplates = <br />
{{Medal|Sport|Women's [[sport of athletics|athletics]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Country|{{IND}}}}<br />
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Games]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2018 Asian Games|2018 Jakarta]] | [[Athletics at the 2018 Asian Games|1500 m]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Competition|[[South Asian Games]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Gold|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati/Shillong]] | [[Athletics at the 2016 South Asian Games|1500 m]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2019 South Asian Games|2019 Kathmandu]]|[[Athletics at the 2019 South Asian Games|1500 m]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games]] }}<br />
{{Medal|Gold|[[2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games|2017 Ashgabat]] | 1500 m }}<br />
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Athletics Championships]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Gold|[[2017 Asian Athletics Championships|2017 Bhubaneswar]]|[[2017 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 1500 metres|1500 m]]}}<br />
{{Medal|Gold|[[2019 Asian Athletics Championships|2019 Doha]]|[[2019 Asian Athletics Championships – Women's 1500 metres|1500 m]]}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Palakkeezhil Unnikrishnan Chitra''' (born 9 June 1995) is an [[Indian people|Indian]] middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500m distance. She won gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games and 2017 Asian Championships and a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games. She won gold medal at the 2019 Doha Asian Athletics Championships<br />
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== Personal life and background ==<br />
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Chitra was born on 9 June 1995, at Mundur in Kerala's Palakkad District to a couple who worked as daily-wage labourers. Small monthly support of Rs. 600 [8.15 dollars approximately] and Rs. 25 per day from the Kerala Sports Council [0.34 dollars approximately] helped her continue with her training while schooling at Mundur Higher Secondary School. [<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 July 2017 |title=Parents daily-wagers, daughter Asian champion P U Chitra passed over for world meet: 'if only they knew' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/parents-daily-wagers-daughter-asian-champion-p-u-chitra-passed-over-for-world-meet-if-only-they-knew-4768882/ |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>] Chitra went on to win medals for India and even won two Tata Nano cars in 2013 when she has adjudged the best athlete in the National School Athletics meet in Etawah (Uttar Pradesh) and the Kerala State School Meet. [<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 December 2013 |first=Biju Babu |last=Cyriac |title=Chitra: Chitra, the rising star of Kerala |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/chitra-the-rising-star-of-kerala/articleshow/26833863.cms |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>]<br />
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== Career ==<br />
Chitra made it to state-level and national-level school competitions, and she drew attention in the 2009 Kerala State School Athletics meet by winning gold in the 3,000m event and silver in 1,500m race. In the 2011 National School Games in Pune, Maharashtra, she won gold medals in the 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m events and a Bronze in 3&nbsp;km cross country race. Chitra almost repeated the Pune performance in 2012 Kerala State School Games, Thiruvananthapuram and finished on the top of the podium in 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m events. In 2013, she won gold medals at the state, national and at continental levels. In the Kerala State School Games in Ernakulam, Chitra defended all her gold medals that she had won the previous year. At the National School Games in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah, She again won gold medals in the 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m events. She also converted the bronze she had won in 3&nbsp;km cross country in 2011 to gold. At the first-ever Asian school athletic meet the same year, the Palakkad girl won the gold in the 3,000m race. In the 2016 National School Games at Ranchi in Jharkhand, her performance was a repeat of 2013 with gold medals in the 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m events and 3&nbsp;km cross country. The same year, Chitra won her first gold medal representing the country at the senior level in 1500m at the South Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 November 2019 |title=Meet PU Chitra, Labourer's Daughter Who Is Sprinting To Success & Already Has Four Gold Medals |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/sports/meet-pu-chitra-labourer-s-daughter-who-is-sprinting-to-success-already-has-four-international-gold-medal-wins-501104.html |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=IndiaTimes |language=en-IN}}</ref><br />
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== Controversy ==<br />
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Chitra finished at the top of the podium in 1500m race at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championship in Bhubaneshwar, only to be informed a week later that she was not to be on the Indian team for the World Athletics Championship in London. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said her performance was below the qualifying timing of 4:07:50. Chitra's coach approached the High Court of Kerala to get the decision reversed. The court ruled in Chitra's favour, but the International Association of Athletics Federations rejected the AFI's request to include the athlete in the Indian squad.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 July 2017 |title=PU Chitra: IAAF rejects AFI's request to include Chitra for World Championships |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/iaaf-rejects-afis-request-to-include-chitra-for-world-championships/articleshow/59834891.cms |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><br />
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Chitra won the gold medal at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in September 2017 in 1500m.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PU Chitra, Lakshmanan win gold at Asian indoor and Martial Arts Games |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/sports/athletics/pu-chitra-lakshmanan-win-gold-at-asian-indoor-and-martial-arts-games-1.2252097 |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=Mathrubhumi |date=20 September 2017 |language=en}}</ref> She followed that up with 1500m bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games and then by defending her title at the Asian Athletics Championship in Doha. Her personal best of 4:11:10 in 1500m race came at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, while she clocked her personal best of 2:02:96 in 800m at the 2019 Inter-State Nationals in Lucknow.<ref>Mohan, KP (31 July 2017). [https://scroll.in/field/845593/utter-mess-indias-athletics-body-took-the-right-call-with-pu-chitra-but-handled-it-poorly Utter mess: India’s athletics body took the right call with PU Chitra but handled it poorly]. Scroll. Retrieved 3 March 2020.</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
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==External links==<br />
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* {{sports links}}<br />
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{{Footer Asian Champions women's 1500 metres}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chitra, PU}}<br />
[[Category:1995 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women middle-distance runners]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women long-distance runners]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Games athletes for India]]<br />
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Asian Games]]<br />
[[Category:Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games]]<br />
[[Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for India]]<br />
[[Category:South Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]<br />
[[Category:South Asian Games gold medalists in athletics]]<br />
[[Category:South Asian Games medalists in athletics]]<br />
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 South Asian Games]]<br />
[[Category:Medalists at the 2019 South Asian Games]]<br />
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for India]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners]]<br />
[[Category:Malayali people]]<br />
[[Category:Athletes from Palakkad]]<br />
[[Category:Sportswomen from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:People from Palakkad district]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian sportswomen]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]</div>Neeraj Singh Creator