Somnath

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameSomnath•Chopra
Used name•Somnath
Other namesNat Singh Somnath
Born(circa 1915)
Died13 April 1988 in Jalandhar, Punjab (IND)
Affiliations?, Patiala (IND)
NOC India

Biography

Somnath was one of the top Indian athletics competitors from Punjab in the 1930s, holding national records in hammer throw from 1938 to 1955 as well as discus throw from 1945 to 1952. He also was a frequent competitor in javelin throw. A member of the 1948 Indian athletics delegation to the London Olympic games, he participated in the hammer throw event, but did not advance past the qualifying rounds. He later won a silver medal in the hammer throw at the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi.

By career, Somnath was an educator, serving as the dean of Hissar Agriculture University and founding sports colleges at Jalandhar and Hissar. He remained involved in athletics affairs and led India at the World Volleyball Championship at Moskva in 1952, and served as the Indian captain at the World Veterans Athletic Championships in 1981, International Veterans Athletics in 1982, as well as Asian Veterans Athletics and World Veterans Athletics, both in 1983. He was also a member of the Guru Nanak Dev University senate, Punjab State Sports Council and, program advisory committee of All India Radio Jalandhar.

Personal Best: HT – 46.84 (1946).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Athletics IND Somnath
Hammer Throw, Men (Olympic) 23 r1/2

Special Notes

Errata

Name also given in other sources as "Nat Singh Somnath".