Tintu Luka
{{short description|Indian middle-distance runner}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Tintu Luka
| image = Tintu Lukka Of India In Action (cropped).jpg
| nationality = Indian
| sport = Running
| event = 800 metres
| club =
| collegeteam =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|4|26}}
| birth_place = Karikkottakary, Iritty, Kerala, India
| country = India
| medaltemplates=
{{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country | {{IND}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|Asian Games}}
{{Medal|Gold|2014 Incheon|4 x 400 m relay}}
{{Medal|Silver|2014 Incheon|800 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2010 Guangzhou|800 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|Asian Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|2013 Pune|4x400 m relay}}
{{Medal|Gold|2015 Wuhan|800 m}}
{{Medal|Silver|2011 Kobe|4x400 m relay}}
{{Medal|Silver|2015 Wuhan|4x400 m relay}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2011 Kobe|800 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2013 Pune|800 m}}
{{MedalCompetition|Asian Junior Athletics Championships}}
{{MedalSilver|2008 Jakarta|800m}}
{{MedalBronze|2008 Jakarta|4×400m relay}}
{{Medal|Competition|National Games}}
{{medal|Gold|2015 Kerala|800m}}
{{medal|Gold|2015 Kerala|4×400m relay}}
}}
Tintu Luka (born 26 April 1989) is an Indian track and field athlete, who predominantly competes in the middle-distance running events. Born in Valathode, Kerala, she is the national record holder in the women's 800 metres. Luka represented India at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In addition to being the 2015 Asian Champion in the 800 meters, she has won a total of six medals at the Asian Athletics Championships.
Luka also competes in sprinting events including 400 metres and the 4 × 400 metres relay, and was a part of the gold medal-winning relay team at the 2013 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2014 Asian Games. She is mentored by Indian Olympian P. T. Usha, and trains at the Usha School of Athletics, Koyilandy, Kerala. She was awarded Arjuna award, the country's second-highest sporting honour by Government of India in 2014.
Early life and junior career
Tintu Luka was born in the small village of Valathode near Karikkottakary in Kannur district, Kerala, India. Her parents are Lukka and Lissy, a state-level long jumper. She has a sister named Angel Lukka. Luka did her schooling from St. Thomas High School, Karikkottakary.{{cite web|title=Road to Rio: Tintu Luka, India's best bet to end athletics medal wait at Olympics|url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/road-to-rio-tintu-luka-indias-best-bet-to-end-athletics-medal-wait-at-olympics-2906838.html|website=The Indian Express|access-date=17 August 2016|date=22 July 2016}}
In 2001, Luka joined the PT Usha School of Athletics at Koyilandy, and started training under the guidance of her coach P T Usha.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportskeeda.com/athletics/10-facts-tintu-luka|title = 10 things you need to know about Tintu Luka|date = 7 June 2015}} In 2008, she bagged her first international medal in form of a silver at the Junior Asian Athletics Championships.
Performance at international level
file:Women's 800m Tintu Lukka 277 Did Not Finish The Race Because Of Fever (cropped).jpg
In 2008, Luka won a silver medal in the 800-metre race at the Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Jakarta.{{cite web | title=Tintu Luka to participate in Jr. world athletic championship
| url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/tintu-luka-to-participate-in-jr-world-athletic-championship_10061661.html#ixzz0WxBXb5VC | publisher=Thaindian News}}
At 2010 Commonwealth Games Luka finished in sixth place in the women's 800m with a timing of 2:01.25s.[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/commonwealth-games-2010/india-news/Tintu-beaten-by-her-own-pace/articleshow/6733069.cms performance in CWG 2010] PT Usha responded to this performance, saying that Tintu Luka had not been exposed to such a large crowd before and that the crowd's applause and cheering could have made her lose concentration and run faster without prior planning.
Luka won the bronze medal in the women's 800 metres event of the track and field competitions at the Asian Games 2010. Tintu, who had a disappointing finish in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, led the pack right from the start, but couldn't keep pace in the last 50 metres and finished third with a timing of 2:01.36 seconds.[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/16th-asian-games-2010/india-news/Asian-Games-Tintu-Luka-wins-bronze-in-womens-800-metres/articleshow/6988277.cms Performance in Asian games],
In the Continental Cup, Croatia, 2010, Luka timed 1:59.17, to break Shiny Wilson's 15-year-old national record of 1:59.85 in the 800m event.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101223110027/http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/05/stories/2010090563261900.htm National record in 800m],
In the second of the three semi-finals for 800 metres event at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Luka finished sixth in her heat clocking an 1:59.69 seconds her seasons best, but could not qualify for the finals.{{cite web|url=http://london2012.bbc.co.uk/athletics/event/women-800m/index.html?v=20120808-122859445 |title=London 2012 – Women's 800m : Athletics – Results |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=8 August 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/london-olympics-2012/news/Indias-Tintu-Luka-qualifies-for-800-metres-semifinals/articleshow/15404400.cms|title= India's Tintu Luka qualifies for 800 metres semifinals
|website= The Times of India
|date= 8 August 2012
|access-date=8 August 2012}} For her performance at the Summer Olympics, the Government of Kerala awarded her {{INRConvert|200000}} and will provide her with a job in a gazetted rank.[https://archive.today/20130103071614/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-19/others/33951739_1_kerala-govt-kerala-government-sportspersons kerala-government-sportspersons]
On 1 October 2014 Luka won the silver medal in the 800m at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea.{{Cite web|url = http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/asian-games-2014/report-tintu-luka-fetches-800m-silver-in-asiad-2022865|title = Tintu Luka fetches 800m silver in Asiad|date = 1 October 2014|access-date = 1 October 2014|website = DNA}} She was also the part of the team that won the gold medal in the 4 X 400 m relay at the 2014 Asian Games.{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/fGQkMraFeWLwnaYlx53MsN/Asian-Games-India-wins-gold-in-4x400m-women-relay.html|title = Asian Games: India wins gold in 4x400m women's relay|date = 2 October 2014}} The team clocked 3:28:68 to break the Games Record. This is India's 4th consecutive gold in the event since 2002.
Awards and recognition
Competition record
| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |
| colspan="6"|Representing {{IND}} |
|---|
| rowspan=3|2008
|Jakarta, Indonesia | style="background:silver;"| 2nd |800 m |2:08.63 |
| rowspan=2|World Junior Championships
|8th (sf) |800m |
| 14th (h)
|4 × 400 m relay |
| 2009
|Guangzhou, China |6th |800 m |
| rowspan=2|2010
|Delhi, India |6th |800 m |
| Asian Games
|Guangzhou, China | style="background:#c96;"|3rd |800 m |
| rowspan=3|2011
|rowspan=2|Asian Championships |rowspan=2|Kobe, Japan | style="background:#c96;"|3rd |800 m |
| style="background:silver;"|2nd
|4 × 400 m relay |
| World Championships
|Daegu, South Korea |15th (sf) |800 m |
| 2012
|London, United Kingdom |10th (sf) |800 m |
| rowspan=3|2013
|rowspan=2|Asian Championships |rowspan=2|Pune, India | style="background:#c96;"|3rd |800 m |
| style="background:gold;"|1st
|4 × 400 m relay |
| World Championships
|Moscow, Russia |15th (h) |4 × 400 m relay |
| rowspan=3|2014
|Glasgow, United Kingdom |11th (sf) |800 m |
| rowspan=2|Asian Games
|rowspan=2|Incheon, South Korea | style="background:silver;"| 2nd |800 m |
| style="background:gold;"|1st
|4 × 400 m relay |3:28.68 {{AthAbbr|GR}} |
| rowspan=4|2015
|rowspan=2|Asian Championships | style="background:gold;"| 1st |800 m |
| style="background:silver;"|2nd
|4 × 400 m relay |
| rowspan=2|World Championships
|rowspan=2|Beijing, China |19th (h) |800 metres |
| 14th (h)
|4 × 400 m relay |
| 2016
|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |29th (h) |800 m |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061209065359/http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/07/stories/2006120708652000.htm Tintu – a rare gem (The Hindu)]
- [http://www.ptusha.org/USHA/studentDetails.asp?studId=16 Tintu Luka (USHA)]
- [http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_luka-out-for-tintu_1434458 DD India report on Tintu]
{{Footer Asian Champions women's 800 metres}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lukka, Tintu}}
Category:Sportswomen from Kerala
Category:People from Kannur district
Category:Indian female sprinters
Category:Indian female middle-distance runners
Category:Olympic athletes for India
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for India
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Asian Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games
Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for India
Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners
Category:Asian Athletics Championships medalists
Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India
Category:Asian Games athletes for India
Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India
Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India
Category:Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:Asian Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)