Annu Rani is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in the javelin throw event. She won the Gold medal in the javelin throw event (with a season-best throw of 62.92 m) at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (held in September and October 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic),becoming the first Indian female to
Annu Rani Quick Info
Height
5 ft 5 in
Weight
63 kg
Date of Birth
August 28, 1992
Zodiac Sign
Virgo
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Annu Rani is an Indian track and field athlete who specializes in the javelin throw event. She won the ‘Gold’ medal in the javelin throw event (with a season-best throw of 62.92 m) at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games (held in September and October 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), becoming the first Indian female to have achieved this feat at the Asian Games. Besides that, she clinched the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2019 Doha Asian Athletics Championships as well as the 2016 Guwahati South Asian Games. Annu also secured the ‘Bronze’ medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and the 2017 Bhubaneswar Asian Athletics Championships. At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she became the first Indian female javelin thrower in the history of the Commonwealth Games to have won a medal.
Born Name
Annu Rani Dharayan
Nick Name
Annu
Annu Rani as seen in an Instagram Post in February 2023 (Annu Rani / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Bahadurpur, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Residence
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality
Occupation
Track and Field Athlete
Annu Rani as seen in an Instagram Post in August 2022 (Annu Rani / Instagram)
Family
Father – Amar Pal Singh (Farmer)
Siblings – Upendra Singh (Older Brother). She has 3 other siblings.
Manager
She has been represented by Ajinkya Hatkar, Manager and Booking Agent, IOS Sports & Entertainment, Talent Management Firm, New Delhi, India.
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 5 in or 165 cm
Weight
63 kg or 139 lbs
Annu Rani as seen in an Instagram Post in May 2022 (Annu Rani / Instagram)
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Toned physique
Side-parted, shoulder-length, wavy hair
Charming smile
Gleaming face
Annu Rani as seen in an Instagram Post in October 2022 (Annu Rani / Instagram)
Annu Rani Facts
Annu’s upper body strength was first identified by her older brother, Upendra, during a local cricket game. He started training her by making her hurl sugarcane sticks in an empty field. She crafted her first javelin stick (for practice) from a long piece of bamboo as she could not afford a real one.
By the time she turned 18, she had started participating in javelin throw events. Although her father was not very keen on Annu pursuing a sports career, her brother continued to fund her training.
The siblings’ persistence and passion paid off in 2014 when Annu won the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2014 National Inter-State Athletics Championship. Her best throw in the competition (58.83 m) broke a 14-year-old national record.
About 2 years later, she broke her own record at the National Inter-State Athletics Championship – with a best throw of 60.01 m. In March 2019, she extended this record to 62.34 m – at the National Senior Athletics Championships.
When she clinched the ‘Silver’ medal at the Doha Asian Athletics Championships in April 2019, Annu became the first Indian female javelin thrower to have qualified for the World Athletics Championships – a biennial competition organized by World Athletics (the international governing body for track and field, cross-country running, road running, race walking, mountain running, and ultra running events).
On September 30, 2019, she became the first Indian woman to reach the final stage of the javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships. Alongside the Olympic Games, the World Athletics Championships represent the highest level of senior international outdoor athletics competition globally.
At the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, Annu recorded a best throw of 62.43 m during the qualification phase – finishing in 5th place and setting a new national record. The following day (October 1, 2019), in the final stage of the competition, she finished 8th overall – with a best throw of 61.12 m.
At the 2021 National Inter-State Athletics Championship, she extended her national record further to 63.24 m, winning the ‘Gold’ medal.
