Asha Kiran Barla is an Indian athlete from Jharkhand. She gained recognition after winning a gold medal in the 800-meter race at the Khelo India Youth Games held in Bhopal in February 2023.
Wiki/Biography
Asha Kiran Barla was born on Sunday, 1 October 2006 (age 17 Years; as of 2023) in Village Navadih, block Kandara, district Gumla, Jharkhand. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her mother, Roznia Aind, is a daily wage labourer.
Asha Kiran Barla’s mother (in white) being honoured by the local government
Her father was a school teacher, and he died in 2013 after battling cancer. Her elder sister, Florence, is an athlete. Florance Barla is a gold medalist, and she won the 200m and 400m events at the All-India University Championships held in Bhubaneswar in 2022.
Asha Kiran Barla’s elder sister, Florance Barla
Asha Kiran Barla has an elder brother who works as a daily wage labourer. According to Asha Kiran Barla, her brother often participates in weekend prize-money hockey tournaments held in Jharkhand.
Husband
Asha Kiran Barla is unmarried.
Career
Asha’s journey in sports began in 2017 when she participated in the under-14 girls’ 600m race event at the national inter-district championships in Jharkhand and won. She continued to excel in her field when she clinched her first medal at the East Zone Junior Athletics Championships in Patna in 2018. In 2022, Asha Kiran Barla won the 800m event at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championship held in Kuwait. She then received a gold medal at the junior national athletics championships in Guwahati, India, in the same year. In June 2022, Asha won the 800-meter race event at the U20 Federation Cup championships held in Chhotubhai Purani Sports Complex, Nadiad, Gujarat.
Asha Kiran Barla after winning a race event in 2022
In January 2023, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) shortlisted Asha for the national camp in Bengaluru. In April 2023, she participated in the 800-meter U20 Championships held at the district sports complex in Tiruvannamalai and earned a gold medal. On 17 May 2023, Asha Kiran Barla won a silver medal in an 800m event during the 26th National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships held in Birsa Munda Foot Ball Stadium in Morabadi, Ranchi. On 10 August 2023, she won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Youth Games held at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Spain.
Asha Kiran Barla after winning a silver medal in 800m in Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023
Facts/Trivia
- Asha Kiran Barla initially played hockey and football but switched to athletics at the suggestion of a teacher at her school in Gumla.
- Asha is trained by Ashu Bhatia, her coach, at his residential academy in Bakaro, Jharkhand.
Asha Kiran Barla with her coach
- According to Asha Kiran Barla, in her hometown, her family always faces challenges such as no electricity in their small, one-room house and difficulties in obtaining a ration card.
- Once, in a media conversation, Asha revealed that her village, Nawaidh, was located about 100 km from Ranchi and was predominantly occupied by the Adivasi community. When she won the Youth National championships in Bhopal in 2022, she had to wait for two days to speak to her mother over the phone as their home is located in the Naxal-affected Gumla district in Jharkhand. Asha also mentioned that her mother was working hard to improve their home’s electricity situation.
Asha Kiran Barla with her mother
