SELAMAT HARI LAHIR, DATUK M. RAJAMANI ⚡️

Legasi Lagenda mengucapkan selamat hari kelahiran kepada Datuk M. Rajamani! Legenda pecut negara yang telah melonjak ke pentas Olimpik berusia 80 tahun hari ini.

Rajamani yang baru melibatkan diri dalam sukan olahraga pada tahun 1964 berjaya menjadi Olimpian wanita pertama Malaysia setelah layak ke Sukan Olimpik Tokyo bagi acara 400m. Di bawah bimbingan legenda trek, R. Suppiah, Rajamani hanya perlukan enam bulan latihan untuk layak ke Sukan Olimpik Tokyo setelah mencatat rekod kebangsaan dengan masa 58.7s di Kejohanan Olahraga Malaysia yang pertama.

Selepas tamat sekolah, Rajamani bermula kerjaya beliau sebagai guru pada 1965. Beliau tetap berkorban untuk mengikuti latihan dan berazam untuk terus mewakili Malaysia di trek olahraga. Beliau berjaya memenangi dua pingat emas di Sukan SEAP 1965 dan memecahkan rekod kejohanan dalam kedua-dua acara yang dipertandingkan iaitu 200m (25.5s) dan 400m (56.5s).

Beliau kemudian berjaya merangkul pingat emas di Sukan Asia 1966 dalam acara 400m serta mencipta rekod kejohanan baharu dengan catatan masa 56.3s. Kejayaan Rajamani menjadikan beliau penerima sulung anugerah Olahragawati Kebangsaan 1966 bersama Tan Sri Dr. M. Jegathesan yang dinobatkan Olahragawan Kebangsaan. Rajamani juga dianugerahkan penghormatan yang sama pada tahun berikutnya. Ketika itu, beliau memegang rekod kebangsaan dalam acara 200m (25.5s), 400m (56.3s) dan 800m (2m 14.8s).

Semoga segala pengorbanan and kejayaan beliau menjadi inspirasi kepada generasi akan datang.

(Kredit foto: Dunia Sukan)

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Legasi Lagenda wishes a happy birthday to Datuk M. Rajamani. The sprinting legend who soared on to the Olympic stage turns 80 today.

A relatively new runner in 1964, Rajamani burst into the scene and became Malaysia’s first female Olympian after qualifying for the 400m event at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Under the tutelage of track legend R. Suppiah, Rajamani had only trained for six months. She earned her place at the Tokyo Olympics after setting a national record of 58.7s at Malaysia’s first National Athletic Championships.

After graduating, Rajamani became a teacher in 1965, which led to many sacrifices but she never fell behind on training and was still determined to continue representing Malaysia on the track. She won two gold medals at the 1965 SEAP Games, breaking the championship record both times for 200m (25.5s) and 400m (56.5s).

Her later achievements include winning the gold medal for 400m at the 1966 Asian Games and setting a new Games record of 56.3s, which propelled her to be the inaugural recipient of the Sportswoman of the Year award of 1966 alongside Tan Sri Dr. M. Jegathesan who won Sportsman of the Year. Rajamani was awarded the same title the following year. At the time, she held the national records for 200m (25.5s), 400m (56.3s) and 800m (2m 14.8s).

May all her successes and sacrifices be an inspiration for generations to come.

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