Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule was India’s first Olympic Marathon runner from Belagavi where he represented India in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp and finished 19th in the marathon event with a duration of 2 hours 50 minutes 45.2 seconds.
The Historic Journey of the Marathon Man of India: Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule
Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule was born in the Sheri Galli area of Shahpur in Belagavi city of Karnataka in the year 1902. P.D Chaugule hailed from a Jain farmer family the town of Belagavi in Karnataka and also had a business connected with printing press and agricultural land. However, he was educated in vernacular, Kannada medium up to 6th grade before moving to Mumbai Province and he belonged to Belagavi, Karnataka. At the initial stage of his career , he enjoyed wrestling and even took part in bouts in Akhada ,but couldn’t continue the sport after he got injured in his arm.
Meanwhile, the sportsman in Chaugule was not downcast and he started long distance running after recovering from the injury. Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule was a strict vegetarian which caused him a lot of problems while traveling in the places like England and Belagavi. In his daily routine, he included 2000 push ups and 2000 sit ups and he used to run bare feet everyday from Belagavi to Khanapur to the farm and back with almost covering 58 kms of distance.
Chaugule created a benchmark for fitness early in his career. He used to participate in the National Marathon organized by the Deccan Gymkhana Club of Pune and Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule became the winner in both the 10 mile and 1 mile Marathon at the All India Open Amateur Athletic Sports Meet in Mumbai. His domination across all these events made him one of the most illustrious athletes during that era.
In the year 1919,he took part in the National Marathon organized by the Deccan Gymkhana Club of Pune and after that in some other Marathons such as 10 miles and 1 mile events at the All India Open Amateur Athletic Sports Meet in Mumbai. Chaugule’s Olympic dream came to fruition after he managed to impress Dorabji Tata in the marathon event organised by the Deccan Gymkhana in Pune in 1919. Tata then went on to include Chaugule in the six-member contingent that would represent India at the 1920 Olympics.
Meanwhile, his participation in the Antwerp Summer Olympics only went on to add to his stature. On 22nd August 1920,he ran the Marathon in Antwerp Olympics and since that point he became the first Indian participant of the Olympics. PD Chaugule participated in the Marathon at the 1920 Antwerp, Belagavi Olympics on 22nd August and finished 19th .However, it was just one run for him but a great milestone for India.
P.D. Chaugule, the house of Karnataka’s first Olympian is called as Pavananjaya. Additionally, he received the title of Conqueror of the Wind from the local community after on 7th December 1919 after the Antwerp Olympics, where he was among the top 20 participants.
This is where Chaugule’s mental strength came to the fore. Three days before the marathon event, Chaugule participated in the heats of the 10000m event, where it was reputed that a spectator fired a pistol in his vicinity, causing a shocked Chaugule to forfeit the race. Three days after, he gathered enough courage to participate in the marathon and finished 19th in a rain-hit event, showing incredible courage.
Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule passed away in the year 1958, In the year 2003,a postal cover was released to honour Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule and the Chaugule Shield Cricket tournament is organized by a Gymkhana Club every year in Belagavi in his honour.
In the honor of Phadeppa Dareppa Chaugule , a statue was erected in his memory. Meanwhile, he is also recognized as a pioneer in Indian long distance running. His true dedication and commitment in the face of challenges was an inspiration for all the inspired future generations of Indian marathon runners.
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