M.R. Poovamma: The Mangaluru-Raised Sprinter Who Is Still Winning Asian Games Gold at 36
Born in Kodagu, schooled in Mangaluru, and on top of the Asian Games podium again in September 2026, twelve years after her first Asian Games medals.
The same airport, twelve years apart
In September 2018, M.R. Poovamma landed at Mangaluru International Airport with an Asian Games gold medal and told reporters the welcome felt just like the one she had received in 2014.
On 2 October 2026, she landed there again. Family, sports officials, supporters and well-wishers were waiting. Later, she was honoured at a felicitation at City Centre Mall. In the days that followed, a minister, an MP, MLAs, a Union minister and the Karnataka government honoured her too.
Three Asian Games. Two airport welcomes that she herself compared. One city that keeps claiming her as its own.
A Kodagu name, a Mangaluru upbringing
Poovamma was born on 5 June 1990 in Kodagu. Mangaluru is where she studied and where important parts of her athletic career took shape, in a career that has now run for well over a decade.
That is why Mangaluru treats her as a hometown athlete, and why the airport crowd turns up each time she comes back.
The early medals
Her first big international result came in 2008 at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, where she won silver in the 400 metres and gold in the 4x400m relay.
The senior breakthrough followed. In 2013 she won silver in the 400 metres and gold in the relay at the Asian Championships. At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon she took bronze in the 400 metres (52.36) and gold in the 4x400m relay with Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur and Priyanka Pawar, in a Games record of 3:28.68. The Government of India honoured her with the Arjuna Award in 2015.
Quick facts Event: 400 metres and 4x400m relay. Born: 5 June 1990. Honour: Arjuna Award, 2015. Asian Games medals: six, across 2014, 2018 and 2026.
Jakarta 2018: two golds
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Poovamma ran in the women's 4x400m relay team with Hima Das, Saritaben Gayakwad and Vismaya Koroth, and the quartet won gold in 3:28.72.
She also ran in the mixed 4x400m relay with Muhammed Anas, Hima Das and Arokia Rajiv. That team originally finished second, but in 2020 the result was upgraded to gold. She came home from Jakarta with two golds.
"I dedicate this medal to my parents and to the victims of Kodagu flood." M.R. Poovamma, Mangaluru airport, September 2018
Poovamma at the Asian Games
| Year | Event | Result | Team and details |
| 2014, Incheon | 400 m | Bronze | 52.36 |
| 2014, Incheon | 4x400m relay | Gold | 3:28.68, Games record, with Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur, Priyanka Pawar |
| 2018, Jakarta | 4x400m relay | Gold | 3:28.72, with Hima Das, Saritaben Gayakwad, Vismaya Koroth |
| 2018, Jakarta | Mixed 4x400m relay | Gold (upgraded from silver in 2020) | With Muhammed Anas, Hima Das, Arokia Rajiv |
| 2026, Aichi-Nagoya | Mixed 4x400m relay | Silver | 3:14.46, with Manu TS, Vishal TK, Vithya Ramraj |
| 2026, Aichi-Nagoya | 4x400m relay | Gold | 3:29.69, with Kiran Pahal, Prachi Choudhary, Vithya Ramraj |
Aichi-Nagoya 2026: gold again
In Japan, Poovamma was part of two Indian relay teams on the podium.
In the mixed 4x400m relay, she ran with Manu TS, Vishal TK and Vithya Ramraj, and India took silver in 3:14.46.
On 29 September, she ran in the women's 4x400m relay team with Kiran Pahal, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj. India finished in 3:29.69, ahead of Bahrain (3:30.21) and China (3:31.02), and the win was India's first athletics gold of those Games.
Speaking after the race, Poovamma counted it as her sixth Asian Games medal: a bronze and a gold in 2014, two golds in 2018, and now a silver and a gold.
Welcome home
She returned to Mangaluru on 2 October 2026. The airport reception brought together family members, the sports fraternity, supporters and well-wishers. A felicitation at City Centre Mall followed, hosted by Mohtisham Complexes Pvt Ltd, with sports enthusiasts gathering to celebrate her success.
At the mall, she spoke of the challenges, setbacks and injuries along her journey, and of her wish to return from the next Asian Games with another gold.
"Age should never be a barrier to achievement." M.R. Poovamma, Mangaluru, October 2026
Honoured by ministers, MPs, MLAs and the Karnataka government
The weeks after Aichi-Nagoya turned into a season of felicitations, across Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Kodagu's political and sporting circles.
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was among the first to congratulate her, writing on social media on 1 October about her gold in the women's 4x400m relay and silver in the mixed relay.
U T Khader, Minister for Health and Family Welfare and the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, visited her residence in Mangaluru and felicitated her. He said her success had brought pride to the country and to Dakshina Kannada, and praised her discipline, hard work, commitment and determination.
"She is a motivation for the youngsters to achieve success in athletics." U T Khader, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka
Captain Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament for Dakshina Kannada, also felicitated her, as did Dr Mantar Gowda, MLA for Madikeri, who called on her at her Mangaluru residence and hailed her as a proud daughter of Kodagu. Vedavyas Kamath, MLA for Mangaluru City South, was among the local leaders who visited her home.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy felicitated her in Bengaluru on Monday, 5 October. Poovamma thanked him and recalled that his congratulations had reached her before anyone else's.
On Tuesday, 6 October, CM D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy CM and Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports G. Parameshwara felicitated Karnataka's Asian Games medallists at Vidhana Soudha. Poovamma was among them, alongside Mohit H.S., Aditi Ashok, Ayush Shetty, Tilottama Sen, Shreyanka Patil and Sneha S.S. Dr K. Govindaraju, president of the Karnataka Olympic Association, and M.N. Anuchet, Commissioner of the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, were present. The Chief Minister said the athletes' achievements had filled every Kannadiga with pride.
Who Has Honoured M.R. Poovamma (October 2026)
| Date | Who honoured her | Where | Details |
| 1 Oct | CM D.K. Shivakumar | Social media | Congratulated her on Asian Games gold and silver |
| 2 Oct | Family, sports fraternity, supporters | Mangaluru International Airport | Welcome on her return from Japan |
| By 3 Oct | U T Khader, Health and Family Welfare Minister and district in-charge minister | Her residence, Mangaluru | Felicitation; praised her discipline and hard work |
| 3 Oct | Mohtisham Complexes Pvt Ltd | City Centre Mall, Mangaluru | Felicitation and public celebration |
| 3 Oct | Dr Mantar Gowda, Madikeri MLA | Her residence, Mangaluru | Felicitation as a proud daughter of Kodagu |
| Early Oct | Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Dakshina Kannada MP; Vedavyas Kamath, Mangaluru City South MLA; local leaders | Her residence, Mangaluru | Felicitation and visit |
| 5 Oct | Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy | Bengaluru | Felicitation |
| 6 Oct | CM D.K. Shivakumar; Deputy CM G. Parameshwara; Karnataka Olympic Association president Dr K. Govindaraju | Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru | State felicitation of Karnataka's Asian Games medallists |
Karnataka's new recognition for its medallists
At the 6 October event, Deputy CM Parameshwara announced a stronger package for Karnataka's sportspersons.
Table: Karnataka's Revised Cash Awards for Asian Games Medallists
| Medal | Earlier award | Revised award |
| Gold | Rs 35 lakh | Rs 1 crore |
| Silver | Rs 25 lakh | Rs 75 lakh |
| Bronze | Rs 15 lakh | Rs 50 lakh |
Each of the eight Karnataka medallists also receives a Rs 5 lakh participation incentive on top of the medal award, and for the first time all 20 Karnataka athletes who competed at the 2026 Asian Games have been sanctioned Rs 5 lakh each.
The package goes beyond cash. Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medallists can now be considered for direct recruitment to Group-B posts in the state government through a selection committee headed by the Chief Secretary. A notification issued on 3 October also provides 2 per cent reservation for achieving sportspersons in direct recruitment to Group-A, B, C and D posts.
Guri: Olympics scheme M.R. Poovamma is one of four medallists included in the state's "Guri: Olympics" scheme for 2026-27, along with Sneha S.S., Shreyanka Patil and Shilpa K.S. Each receives a Rs 10 lakh cash incentive this year towards Olympic preparation, training and other needs.
What her story says
Her Asian Games record now stretches from 2014 to 2026. Poovamma has medals from three Games, a place in some of India's best relay teams, and a home city that turns out to greet her.
She is 36, she is still on the podium, and she has said she wants to bring home another gold from the next Asian Games.
Her Asian Games years 2014 Incheon: bronze and gold. 2018 Jakarta: two golds. 2026 Aichi-Nagoya: silver and gold. Six medals in all, in her own count.
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FAQ
1. Who is M.R. Poovamma?
Machettira Raju Poovamma is an Indian 400-metre and relay sprinter, born on 5 June 1990 in Kodagu, who grew up and studied in Mangaluru and received the Arjuna Award in 2015.
2. What did she win at the 2026 Asian Games?
Gold in the women's 4x400m relay (3:29.69) on 29 September 2026, and silver in the mixed 4x400m relay (3:14.46).
3. Who ran with her in the 2026 gold-medal relay?
Kiran Pahal, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj.
4. How many Asian Games medals does she have?
Six: a bronze and a gold in 2014, two golds in 2018, and a silver and a gold in 2026.
5. What happened with her 2018 mixed relay medal?
India's mixed 4x400m relay team finished second at the 2018 Asian Games, and the result was upgraded to gold in 2020.
6. Who has felicitated M.R. Poovamma after the 2026 Asian Games?
U T Khader (Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister), Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, Madikeri MLA Dr Mantar Gowda, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Mohtisham Complexes Pvt Ltd at City Centre Mall. On 6 October 2026, CM D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy CM G. Parameshwara felicitated her and other Karnataka medallists at Vidhana Soudha.
7. What is the "Guri: Olympics" scheme?
A Karnataka government scheme to support talented athletes preparing for the Olympics. Poovamma is among four Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medallists included for 2026-27, each receiving a Rs 10 lakh incentive.
8. How were the cash awards for Karnataka's Asian Games medallists revised?
Gold from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 1 crore, silver from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, and bronze from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, announced on 6 October 2026.
9. How was she welcomed in Mangaluru in 2026?
She was received at Mangaluru International Airport on 2 October 2026 by family, the sports fraternity and supporters, and was honoured at a felicitation at City Centre Mall.
