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Athletes

Manju Rani (Athlete) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 March 1999

Age24 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceMansa, Punjab, India

ProfessionAthlete; Indian Army official

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Jagdish Ram; Mother - deceased; Elder brother - police official

Manju Rani (Athlete) Biography

Manju Rani is an Indian racewalker from Mansa, Punjab, who competes primarily in the 35 km event. A member of the Indian security forces, she has won a mix

Early life and background

Manju Rani was born on 22 March 1999 in Mansa, Punjab, and grew up in the Khaira Khurd village of Mansa district. She lost her mother in a drowning accident when she was two years old. Her father, Jagdish Ram, worked as a farmer and supported the family while prioritizing Manju’s athletic ambitions. She has an elder brother who serves in the police.

Manju’s athletic potential first emerged in school. She initially tried out for the handball team, but when that sport was not available she was steered toward racewalking by a coach who noticed her unusual gait while running. That natural style proved well suited to racewalking, and she began focused training in 2013.

Career

Manju moved into structured development at a SAI hostel in Badal, Muktsar district, where she trained under coach Pritpal Kaur. At 15 she won her first state-level medal, a bronze, and continued to progress through the junior ranks into senior competition.

She joined the Indian security forces in 2018, first securing a position with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and later serving as an Indian Army official. The job provided salary support that helped fund her training and equipment, though she and her family also relied on loans and sacrifices to meet the costs of nutrition, shoes and other needs.

Manju’s senior athletics career took off in 2020. She specializes in the 35 km race walk and has set national benchmarks in that distance. In 2022 she won a silver medal at the 9th National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi and set a national record in the 35 km event that year. Later in 2022 she earned a silver medal at the 36th National Games in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

In February 2023 she established a new national record in the women’s 35 km race walk at the 10th National Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi, posting a time of 2:57:54. That year she also won gold at the 62nd National Inter State Senior Athletic Championships and claimed the women’s 10 km race walk title at the 71st All India Police Athletic Championship.

Internationally, Manju was selected to represent India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, where she and teammate Ram Baboo combined for a time of 5:51:14 in the inaugural 35 km mixed team event and took the bronze medal. Her performances at national and regional championships have established her as one of India’s leading competitors in the 35 km race walk.

Public profile

Manju stands 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) tall and competes at an athletic weight around 55 kg. She has brown eyes and black hair. She is unmarried and is known to wear a wrist tattoo on her left hand bearing the Hindi word for “Maa” and a heartbeat design.

Her training story is also marked by family sacrifice: her father mortgaged land and at times took loans to support her training, diet and footwear. Manju has described how those choices enabled her to continue developing as an athlete while living and training away from home.

Latest updates

Recent highlights include her national record-setting 35 km performance at the 10th National Open Race Walking Championships in February 2023, gold medals at major national meets in 2023, and a bronze medal in the 35 km mixed team event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Manju continues to train under coach Pritpal Kaur and competes for national-level honors in the 35 km race walk discipline.
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Recent Work

35 km race walk — 10th National Open Race Walking Championships

Set a national record with a time of 2:57:54 and won gold (2023).

2023
35 km mixed team event — 19th Asian Games

Part of the Indian team that won bronze with a combined time of 5:51:14 (2023).

2023
35 km race walk — 9th National Open Race Walking Championships

Won silver and set a national record (2022).

2022
36th National Games, Gandhinagar

Won silver in the 35 km race walk event (2022).

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Began racewalking in 2013 and trained at SAI Badal under coach Pritpal Kaur
  2. Joined Sashastra Seema Bal and later served as an Indian Army official starting in 2018
  3. Set a national record in the women’s 35 km race walk (2022 and improved in 2023)
  4. Bronze medal in the 35 km mixed team event at the 19th Asian Games (2023)
  5. Gold medals at major national championships in 2023
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Manju Rani (Athlete) born?

22 March 1999

What is Manju Rani (Athlete) known for?

Athlete; Indian Army official

What is Manju Rani (Athlete)’s marital status?

Unmarried