Aishwarya B is an Indian athlete who competes in Long Jump and Triple Jump. On 13 June 2022, she created a national record of 14.14m in the Triple Jump at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, in the 61st National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships, qualifying for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, on 20 July 2022, she tested positive in a dope test, following which she was ruled out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and handed a provisional suspension.
Wiki/Biography
Aishwarya Babu was born on Sunday 15 June 1997 (age 25 years; as of 2022) in Karnataka, India. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. Hailing from a family of sportspersons, with her uncle being a national-level decathlete, Aishwarya B was inclined towards sports since childhood. She began her athletic journey as a 100m and 200m sprinter at the age of eight. Later, she joined DYES Sports School. She pursued her graduation at Alva’s College, Moodbidri, Karnataka. While attending Alva’s College she came across coach Vasanth Jogi who encouraged her to switch to long jump and triple jump. Besides being an athlete, she is also an employee in the Indian Railways.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Aishwarya B at the 2022 National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships (Chennai) taking a triple jump leap
Family
Parents & Siblings
Aishwarya B’s father is a government employee, and her mother is a homemaker.
Husband & Children
Aishwarya B’s husband, Nandan Kumar, works at the Governor’s office in Bengaluru. The two grew up as neighbours when they lived near Anekal, close to the Tamil Nadu border. Eventually, they grew apart when Kumar moved to Bengaluru with his brother. Later, they were reunited after a decade of no communication their parents arranged their marriage. In an interview, Nandan Kumar, while recalling the same, said,
My family asked her mother if they knew any girl since I was looking to get married. Her mum asked, ‘why not Aishwarya?’ My dad, who is no more, was always fond of her and predicted that she would be a top athlete one day. We both immediately said yes.”
Aishwarya B with her mother-in-law, Sumanglama, and husband, Nandan Kumar
Medals
Gold
- 2020 Indian University Championship (Moodbidri) in Triple Jump (13.29m)
- 2020 Khelo India University Games
Aishwarya B (centre) flaunting her gold medal at Khelo India University Games 2020
- 2021 National Open Athletics Championships (Warangal) in Long Jump (6.52m) and Triple Jump (13.55m)
- 2022 Inter-Railway Championship (Kolkata) in Long Jump (6.32m) and Triple Jump (13.71m)
- 2022 Indian Grand Prix (Thiruvananthapuram) in Triple Jump with a leap of 13.94m
- 2022 National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships (Chennai) in Long Jump (6.73m) Triple Jump (14.14m) (not recorded)
Silver
- 2020 Indian University Championship (Moodbidri) in Long Jump with a leap of 6.25m
Controversy
Doping Violation
After Aishwarya B was named in India’s 37-member Athletics contingent for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she tested positive for a banned drug in a dope test conducted by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on 20 July 2022. Thereafter, the national record holder was handed a provisional suspension, and she was ruled out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Apart from Aishwarya, sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar also tested positive in the dope test.
Facts/Trivia
- She was honoured by the Gaonkar’s School of Jumpers (GSJ) in 2017.
From left to Right Sahana Kumari, Joyline M Lobo, Aishwarya B, Chethan B, Khyati Vakharia, Samsheer S E and Karthik Iholly
- In 2018, she suffered from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, following which she wasn’t able to compete in long and triple jump competitions for a year.
- It was the 2010 Asian Games heptathlon bronze medallist Pramila Aiyappa who spotted Aishwarya B. Like Aishwarya, Pramila is also an employee in the Indian Railways. Pramila is in charge of South West Railways and is a state sports officer. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, she took Aishwarya to railway selection trials and then started training her. Later, Aishwarya B started training under BP Aiyappa, Pramila’s husband.
Aishwarya B with her coach B.P. Aiyappa
- In an interview, BP Aiyappa recalled the difficulties faced by Aishwarya and revealed that she daily travelled outside Bangalore for training after Sree Kantheerava Stadium, where he and Aishwarya used to train, was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said,
We had struggled a lot, going to Vidyanagar every day except for Saturday, it is nearly 35 km from Bangalore. It was tough. We had to take special passes but the state government, JSW, AFI and SAI had supported us a lot.”
- Her 6.73m leap at the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships 2022 set a new record in the history of the meet in the Long Jump category as she surpassed the record of 6.63m, created by Mayookha Johny in 2011. Her 6.73m mark was also recorded as the second best long jump mark by an Indian woman after 6.83m, marked by Anju Bobby George in Athens back in 2004. Additionally, she created a national record in the triple jump with a stunning effort of 14.14m at the meet, breaking Mayookha Johny’s 2011 record of 14.11m. However, the records were erased when she tested positive in a dope test.
- Curd rice is her all-time favourite food.