Bhogeswar Baruah
Bhogeswar Baruah (Assamese: ভোগেশ্বৰ বৰুৱা; born 3 September 1940) is an Indian former-athlete and coach. He was one of the first Assamese to win gold at an international event, winning a gold medal in an 800-metre running event at the 1966 Asian Games. He also won a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay in the 1970 Asian games. He is a recipient of the Arjuna Award and is the first Assamese to obtain the Arjuna award.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Assamese; Indian | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 September 1940 Sibsagar, Assam | |||||||||||||||||
| Monument | Abhiruchi Sports Day is celebrated annually in Assam in his honor | |||||||||||||||||
| Parents |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athlete | |||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 1st | |||||||||||||||||
| Event | Asian Games | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | Chef-de-mission of the Assam Olympic Association | |||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1966 Arjuna Award winner | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Baruah was born on 3 September 1940. He came from a farmer's family, and was very poor while growing up in Sivasagar. Baruah enjoyed sports from a young age, particularly football. He joined the Indian Defence Force in 1960, which led to him focusing on running rather than football.
Baruah began his early running career shortly after his entry into the army. He participated in several running events, winning gold in numerous events. In 1965, in the National Athletics Competition held in Bangalore, he set a national record finishing the 800 metre race in 1 min 49.9 seconds. In the 1966 Asian Games he won gold by running the 800 metres in 1 minute 49.4 seconds, which set a new record in Asia. In the 1970 Asian Games, he won a silver medal in a 4 x 400 metre relay.
Baruah's birthday is celebrated on 3 September every year in Assam, which was named the "Abhiruchi Sports Day" in his honor. He also started a sports academy at Dimow in Sivasagar in the early 1990s. But after operating for three years, he had closed it down due to lack of funds. Baruah is considered a sporting icon and household name in Assam.