Kenneth Powell (sprinter) explained

Kenneth Powell
Birth Date:20 April 1940
Birth Place:Kolar, Mysore, British India
Death Place:Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Other Names:The Gentleman Sprinter
Occupation:Track and field athlete
Height:5ft 7in
Image Upright:0.005
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Kenneth Lawrence Powell (20 April 1940 – 11 December 2022), popularly known as "The Gentleman Sprinter",[1] [2] was an Indian track and field athlete from the state of Karnataka. He competed in the 1964 Olympics and the 1970 Asian Games. He was a recipient of the Government of India's Arjuna Award in 1965 and Government of Karnataka's Rajyotsava Award in 2018.[3] [4]

Early life

Powell was born on 20 April 1940 in Kolar, in the present-day Indian state of Karnataka.[5] His first major event was a third-place finish at the 1957 National School Games in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata).

Career

Powell moved to Bangalore when he was 19, and joined the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Limited, where he was coached by the Rangers Athletics club's coach Krishna. In an interview many years later, Powell would admit that his becoming an athlete was an accident. He set out to be a cricketer and was a fast bowler with ITI. Coach Benjamin Frank recommended that he pick up sprinting after seeing his ability to run fast.[6]

Powell was one of India's top athletes in the 1960s and was known to have had a healthy rivalry with Milkha Singh. He was a member of the Indian 4 × 100 metres relay team that made it to the semifinals of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In the same Olympics, he also represented the country in the 100 metres and the 200 metres sprint events. He was also a member of the team that won bronze at the 1970 Asian Games. He had previously been left off the squad for the 1966 Asian Games also in Bangkok. During his career, Powell took home 19 sprinting titles from events all over India.

Powell also represented Karnataka in the National Handball Championship in 1970 and also won the silver medal for the 40–44 age-group in the 100m event at the Asia Masters Athletics Championships in Singapore in 1981. He was also a finalist in the 45–49 age-group event at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Melbourne.[7]

He was also known as The Gentleman Sprinter. After working at the ITI, he was employed with the railways, and later with Tata Steel from where he retired in 1997. Powell remained associated with athletics in Karnataka after his retirement. He had spoken out against the Kanteerava Stadium's state and had suggested a ban on use of the facilities for non-sporting purposes.[8]

Awards

Powell received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India in 1965. He was the first sportsperson from Karnataka to win the award.[9] He received the Karnataka government's Rajyotsava Award in 2018.[10]

Personal life and death

Powell was married to Daphne Powell (née Simon), who was also an athlete in her younger years.[11] [12] The couple lived in the Cooke Town neighborhood of Bangalore.[13]

Powell died in Bangalore on 11 December 2022, at age 82.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: bhambra . abhijit . 19 June 2021 . Milkha Singh was a simple man with a simple living, says Kenneth Powell, The Gentleman Sprinter . 20 August 2022 . NEWS9LIVE . en.
  2. Kenneth Powell Olympic Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418011327/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/ken-powell-1.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . 18 June 2017.
  3. News: Karnataka / Bangalore News : Athletes who almost made it . https://web.archive.org/web/20080920092146/http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/13/stories/2008081361250300.htm . dead . 20 September 2008 . 13 August 2008 . . 1 September 2013.
  4. Web site: India at the Games . Sportstaronnet.com . 2 August 2008 . 1 September 2013 . 16 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170416133710/http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3131/stories/20080802502602300.htm . live .
  5. Web site: PTI . 11 December 2022 . Olympian and 1970 Asian Games medallist Kenneth Powell passes away . 11 December 2022 . sportstar.thehindu.com . en . 10 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110153632/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/kenneth-powell-dead-olympian-1970-asian-games-medal-winner/article66251223.ece . live .
  6. Web site: 7 April 2015 . Past masters, still burning bright . 11 December 2022 . Deccan Herald . en . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211235031/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/470144/past-masters-still-burning-bright.html . live .
  7. Web site: Olympian Kenneth Powell dies at 82 . 11 December 2022 . OnManorama . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211175633/https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/12/11/olympian-kenneth-powell-dies-at-82.html . live .
  8. Web site: 8 December 2012 . Non-sporting events should be banned at stadium, says Olympian . 11 December 2022 . Deccan Herald . en . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211233817/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/297325/non-sporting-events-should-banned.html . live .
  9. Web site: 11 December 2022 . A Gentleman champion who endeared all . 11 December 2022 . Deccan Herald . en . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211235034/https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/a-gentleman-champion-who-endeared-all-1170711.html . live .
  10. Web site: 28 November 2018 . Karnataka Rajyotsava awards announced . 11 December 2022 . Deccan Herald . en . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211232454/https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-rajyotsava-awards-705471.html . live .
  11. Book: Baskaran, Hari . These Bloomin' Anglos: Glimpses into the Anglo-Indian heart . 11 April 2018 . Notion Press . 978-1-64249-767-0 . en . 10 January 2023 . 10 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110153632/https://books.google.com/books?id=xEpVDwAAQBAJ&dq=Kenneth+Powell+india&pg=PT148 . live .
  12. Web site: Juliana. Lazarus. 1 August 2010 . Anglos: A part and yet apart . 11 December 2022 . Bangalore Mirror . en.
  13. Web site: 10 August 2010 . A song for the road . 11 December 2022 . Deccan Herald . en . 10 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110153719/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/87636/a-song-road.html . live .
  14. Web site: 'Gentleman sprinter' Kenneth Powell passes away . 11 December 2022 . 11 December 2022 . 11 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221211124654/https://www.news9live.com/amp/sports/athletics/gentleman-sprinter-kenneth-powell-passes-away-213327 . live .

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