P. Anitha

P. Anitha is one of India’s finest basketball players, who represented the national women’s team for 18 years. She works as a chief ticket inspector on deputation to the Southern Railway Sports Association. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of sports, from Tamil Nadu ^[1].

From the police quarters

Anitha was born in Chennai on 22 June 1985 to G. Paul Durai, a Tamil Nadu police constable, and P. Lalitha ^[2]. She started at a small school near the police quarters and shone at athletics before turning to basketball, playing at the under-14 national championships ^[2]. She also kept up her studies, earning a BCom from Madras University and an MBA from Annamalai University ^[2].

Captain at 19

At 19 she became the youngest player ever to captain India’s senior side, and led the team for eight years ^[2]. She was the first Indian player, man or woman, to play in nine FIBA Asian Championships ^[2]. With four gold and two silver medals in international events she has the most in Indian basketball history, and she has played at the Commonwealth and Asian Games and in a professional league in Thailand in 2012 ^[2]. At home she has won 30 medals at national championships ^[2].

Coming back

Early in her career she tore a knee ligament and needed reconstructive surgery, but returned to win the national title ^[2]. After the births of her son and daughter she fought her way back into the national team within months, leading India at the Asian Championships in 2015 and 2017 ^[2].

She received the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s state sports award in 2013 ^[2].