Youngest Indian Athlete: 14-year old Indian Badminton sensation Unnati Hooda made headlines on Monday. She became part of India’s squad for the upcoming Asian Games and the Thomas & Uber Cup. With her selection, the teenager became the youngest-ever Indian badminton player to be selected for the Asian Games. Follow InsideSport.IN for more updates.
Youngest Indian Athlete: Unnati Hooda becomes youngest shuttler to be picked for Asian Games squad, check YOUNGEST-EVER Indian Athletes
However, Unnati is not the youngest ever player to represent India in multinational events like Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games. Arati Saha is still the youngest-ever Indian to represent India in Olympics. She participated in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when she was just 11 years old. There is also 12-year old Chitresh Tatha who represented India in the 2014 Asian Games.
InsideSport takes a look at youngest Indian athletes to play multi-national events.
Arati Saha – 11 YEARS 306 DAYS
- Arati Saha, who was born on 24 September 1940, was just 11 years and 306 days when she participated in Swimming in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
- Born in Calcutta, Arati took up to swimming when she was just four years old.
- Under the mentorship of Sachin Nag, Arati gradually improved her performance and emerged as one of the best swimmers in the country at that point in time.
- Her performance gradually made her qualify for the Olympics and she was part of the Indian swimming contingent that had Dolly Nazir.
- She made her Olympics debut on 26 July 1952 and finished sixth in her heat. She was unable to qualify for the finals.
- At the age of 19, she became the first Asian Woman to cross the English Channel. She swam for 16 hours and 20 minutes and created the record.
- She was awarded Padma Shri in 1960 and became the first Indian female athlete to bag the honour.
- She passed away in 1994, at the age of 54 due to health complications.
Youngest Indian Athlete: Unnati Hooda becomes youngest shuttler to be picked for Asian Games squad, check YOUNGEST-EVER Indian Athletes
Chitresh Tatha – 12 years
- Chitresh Tatha who hails from Tamil Nadu became the youngest Indian sailor to participate in the Asian Games when he made his debut in the 2014 edition.
- He took up sailing when he was just eight years old and was trained by India’s former national coach Pete Conway.
- He was selected for the Asian Games that year after he won 8 out of 15 races in the selection trials for the ‘Optimist Category’ and also achieved top 5 position in the remaining races.
- In the Optimist category at the Asian Games, he finished sixth with a net point of 62.
Youngest Indian Athlete: Unnati Hooda becomes youngest shuttler to be picked for Asian Games squad, check YOUNGEST-EVER Indian Athletes
Who is Unnati Hooda?
Hooda earned the call-up after finishing third in the Badminton Selection Trials in Women’s Singles. She finished behind Aakarshi Kashyap and Ashmitha Chaliha and the selectors rewarded her for her performance straightaway by preferring her over the much-experienced Saina Nehwal, who chose to give the trials a miss.
- The fast-rising teenager hails from Rohtak in Haryana. She is so far trained by her father Upkar Hooda.
- Unnati rose to prominence earlier this year as she won the title at the inaugural edition of the Odisha Open in January this year.
- She defeated higher-ranked opponent like Malavika Bansod in the tournament, before winning the final in straight sets against Smit Toshniwal.
- She is currently ranked 200th in the world. Apart from Odisha Open, she did not feature in a major tournament in singles this year.
- She qualified for the finals of the national level Under-19 tournament this year, but she decided to skip the match to participate in the Badminton selection trials.
- She advanced to the 1 to 4 rankings round and lost to Ashmitha Chaliha and Aakarshi Kashyap in her first two matches, before defeating Aditi Bhatt to seal third spot in the rankings.
Also Read: Uber Cup: Sikki Reddy, Ashwini Ponnappa withdraw from Uber Cup due to injury
Youngest Indian Athlete: Unnati Hooda becomes youngest shuttler to be picked for Asian Games squad, check YOUNGEST-EVER Indian Athletes
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