Anitha Pauldurai

Anitha Pauldurai
Personal information
Born (1985-06-22) 22 June 1985 (age 39)
Madras (now Chennai),
Tamil Nadu, India
NationalityIndian
Listed height167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Career information
Playing careerInternational: 2001–2018
PositionSouthern Railways (Officer On Special Duty)
Career highlights and awards
Padma Shri (2021)

Anitha Pauldurai (born 22 June 1985) is an Indian basketball player who has been the captain of the India women's national basketball team. She has been conferred with National Civilian Award Padma Shri in 2021. She has been also conferred with Chief Minister State award in the field of sports by Government of Tamilnadu in 2013.

She played for 18 years on the Indian women's national team (2000 to 2017). Anitha is the first only Indian woman to have played nine Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) championships continuously representing the national squad. Anitha has a record of 30 medals in national championships.

Pauldurai is the youngest ever to captain the Senior National Team at the age of 19 and went on to captain the national team for eight years. In August 2012, she was selected to play for an international women professional league in Thailand.

Pauldurai has played a number of international tournaments including big-ticket events such as the Asian championship, Commonwealth Games 2006 and Asian Games 2010. Anitha won the gold medal in 1st 3 on 3 FIBA Asian Basketball Championships at Doha 2013, gold medal in 3rd Asian beach games at Haiyan, China 2012, captain and top assists in the tournament, gold medal in south Asian beach games at Sri Lanka 2011 and silver medal in Asian indoor games at Vietnam 2009.[1][2] [3]

Personal life and education

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Pauldurai was born in a middle class Tamil family to late police constable G. Pauldurai and housewife Lalitha in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu. She started playing basketball at the age of 11 but admits that early on, she wasn't a fan of the sport. "I used to like volleyball and athletics more," she said, "But when I was in school, the basketball coach recommended that I try the game. The more I played, the more interested I became in the sport." She was graduate in B.Com. from Madras University & MBA (HRM) from Annamalai University. She joined Southern Railway 2003, now working as Officer on Special Duty, Ticket Checking.

Awards and achievements

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  • Padma Shri Award for Sports in 2021 - Fourth Highest Civilian Award in India.
  • FEMINA Super Daughter Award 2021.
  • Tamil Nadu Women achiever Award from the Brand Republic 2021.
  • Life Time Achievement Award from Rotary Club Chennai Velachery 2021.
  • Sports Women of the Year Award from Jeppiaar Institute of Technology 2021.
  • Raindrops Women Achiever Award 2021.
  • Best Sports Women Award from TN World Women Wing 2021.
  • Wonder Women Award from Virisha Book of World Record 2021.
  • Women Achiever Award from State Bank Of India 2019.
  • Villayatu Ratna Award from News7 channel Tamil Ratna Awards 2018.
  • Received Doctor of Letters (D.LITT) from DK International Research Foundation 2018.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in senior National Basketball Championship at Chennai 2018.
  • Women Achiever Award from Rajalakshmi Engineering College 2018.
  • Young Achiever Award from International Youth Fest 2018.
  • Women Achiever Award from Vels University 2017.
  • Received Vikadan award for Golden Captain 2016.
  • Chief Minister State Sports Award 2013.
  • Awarded Top Plays of the Tournament 2013 FIBA Asian Women.
  • Southern Railway General Manager's Railway Week Award for sports 2008.
  • Best Player Award in 17th Youth Nationals at Vashi 2001.
  • Received Book of World Records Certificate for the Contribution towards the Basketball sport in India.

International sporting achievements

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Year Competition Venue & dates Position Notes
Representing India
FIBA U-16 Women's Asia Championship Bengaluru 22 to 28 Oct Winner Asst coach
Level II
2017 FIBA Women's Asia Cup Bengaluru 23 to 29 July Winner Captain
Level II
39th William Jones Cup Chinese Taipei 5 to 9 July Top 4 Captain
2015 26th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Wuhanchina 29 Aug to 5 Sep Top 6 Captain
1st FIBA Asia 3 On 3 Championship Dhoha, Qatar 15 to 16 May Gold medal
2013 25th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Bangkok, Thailand 27 Oct to 3 Nov Top 5
3rd Asian Beach Games Haiyang, China 16 to 22 June Gold medal Captain Top Assist
Women's Professional Basketball League Thailand July Sripatum
2012 University
34th William Jones Cup Tournament Taiwan 7 to 11 June Top 4
1st South Asian Beach Games Hambantota Gold medal
Sri Lanka 8 to 14 Aug
2011 24th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Nagasaki Top 5 Top Steal
Japan 21 to 28 Aug
33rd William Jones Cup for Women Chinese Taipai 31 July to 4 Aug Top 4
2010 16th Asian Games China
Guangzhou 12 to 27 Nov
3rd Asian Indoor Games Vietnam 30 Oct to 8 Nov Silver medal
2009 24th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Chennai Captain
17 to 24 Sep
2007 22nd FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Incheon, Korea 3 to 10 June Winner
Levelii
Common Wealth Games Melbourne, Australia 15 to 26 Mar Top Assist of Tournament
2006 Four Nations International Basketball Tournament Auckland, New Zealand 8 to 12 Mar
1st Phuket International Invitational Tournament Thailand 22 to 25 Sep Gold medal
2005 21st FIBA Asia championship for Senior Women Ginhuangdao, China 19 to 26 June Captain
(Youngest ever captain)
International Invitational Basketball Tournament Malaysia Silver medal
2004 20 to 30 June
20th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Japan
13 to 19 Jan
2001 19th FIBA Asia Championship for Senior Women Bangkok
Thailand 4 to 11 Oct
2000 Junior FIBA Asia Basketball Championship for Women Delhi
16 to 22 Dec

National sporting achievements

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Year Competition Venue & dates Position Notes
Life Time Achievement Award received from Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
2018 68th Senior National Basketball Championship Chennai Gold medal
17 to 24 Jan
67th Senior National Basketball Championship Pondicherry Bronze
7 to 14 Jan
2017 Federation Cup Coimbatore Silver
41st All India Railway Championship Kolkata 10 to 15 Nov Gold
66th Senior National Basketball Championship Mysore 9 to 16 Jan Gold
2016 40th All India Railway Championship Secundrabad 25 to 30 Nov Silver
35th National Games Kerala 1 to 14 Feb Silver
2015 29th Federation Cup Pune 29 Mar to 2 Apr Gold
39th All India Railway Championship Mumbai 20 to 26 Nov Gold
1st 3 On 3 Senior National Basketball Championship New Delhi 10 & 11 April Gold
Bengaluru 30 Jan to 3 Feb Captain Most Valuable Player
2013 27th Federation Cup Gold
37th All India Railway Championship Kapurthala 6 to 10 Nov Gold
67th Senior National Basketball Championship Ludhiana 20 Dec to 4 Jan Gold
26th Federation Cup Cochin 14 to 18 Mar Gold
2012 36th All India Railway Championship Guwahati 1 to 8 Nov Gold
62nd Senior National Basketball Championship Chennai 16 to 24 Dec Gold
34th National Games Jharkhand 12 to 26 Feb Gold Captain
25th Federation Cup Raipur 10 To 15 Feb Silver
2011 35th All India Railway Championship Kapurthala 4 to 11 Nov Silver
61st Senior National Basketball Championship New Delhi 20 Dec to 4 Jan Gold
34th All India Railway Championship Secundrabad 26 Nov to 3 Dec Gold
2010 51st South Zone Basketball Championship Visakhapatnam 23 to 27 June Gold Captain
60th Senior National Basketball Championship Ludhiana 27 Dec to 3 Jan Gold Captain Top Scorer Award
2009 33rd All India Railway Championship Jabalpur 6 to 12 Oct Gold
59th Senior National Basketball Championship Surat 31 Dec to 7 Jan Gold
32nd All India Railway Championship Guwahati 3 to 9 Sep Bronze
2008 50th South Zone Basketball Championship Hospet 18 to 22 Oct Gold Captain
58th Senior National Basketball Championship Pondicherry 21 to 28 Dec Gold
23rd Federation Cup Rourekela 31 Oct to 4 Nov Silver Captain
2007
31st All India Railway Championship Chennai 20 to 26 Nov Gold Captain
56thsenior National Basketball Championship Pune 20 Dec to 4 Jan 2006 Gold
21st Federation Cup Bhavnagar 15 to 19 Feb Silver
29th All India Railway Championship Gorakpur 19 to 22 Oct Silver
2005 R. Vaikuntam Cup New Delhi 12 to 14 July Bronze
55th Senior National Basketball Championship Ludhiana 26 Dec to 2 Jan Gold
2004
28th All India Railway Championship Lucknow 1 to 8 Nov Gold
54th Senior National Basketball Championship Cuttack 26 Dec 2003 to 2 Jan 2004 Gold
45th South Zone Basketball Championship Yanam 18 to 22 July Gold
27th All India Railway Championship Varanasi 5 to 12 Nov Bronze
2003 54th Junior Nationals Ludhiyana 7 to 14 June -
53rd Senior National Basketball Championship Hyderabad 25 Jan to 1 Feb
2002 53rd Junior Nationals Goa 10 to 17 May
51st Senior National Basketball Championship Bengaluru 5 to 12 Jan Bronze
31st National Games Punjab 19 Nov to 1 Dec Silver
52nd Junior Nationals Bhilai 17 to 24 June -
2001 18th Youth Nationals Madhya Pradhesh 14 to 20 Oct Gold Captain
50th Senior National Basketball Championship Delhi 25 Dec to 1 Jan 2000 Bronze
2000 17th Federation Cup Vishakapatnam 25 to 30 July Forth
51st Junior Nationals Himachal Pradesh 9 to 15 Sep Bronze
17th Youth Nationals Vashi 25 Dec to 1 Jan 2001 Gold Captain Most Valuable Player
50th Junior Nationals Pondicherry 21 to 27 May Gold
16th Youth Nationals Chittoragarh 8 to 13 Dec Silver
1999 15th Youth Nationals Surat 23 to 29 Jan
25th Sub-Junior National Pondicherry 14 to 18 May -
1998 XLIV National School Games Chandigarh 14 to 19 Nov

See also

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References

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Specific
  1. ^ "Geethu Anna Jose and Anitha Paul Durai played in Thailand professional basketball league". 18 August 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  2. ^ Chidananda, Shreedutta; Chidananda, Shreedutta (2 February 2013). "I love playing for Tamil Nadu: Anitha". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  3. ^ Staff Reporter (26 January 2021). "Ten from T.N. chosen for Padma Shri". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
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