Who was the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games?

Introduction / Context:
Indian women athletes have achieved many milestones at the Asian Games over the decades. The first Indian woman to win a gold medal in these Games occupies a special place in Indian sports history. This question assesses whether the learner can identify that pioneer from among several well known women athletes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is the Asian Games.
• The focus is on the first Indian woman gold medallist.
• Options include P. T. Usha, Sunita Rani, Shiny Abraham and Kamaljit Sandhu.
• We assume the official Asian Games athletics records.

Concept / Approach:
The concept required is familiarity with the timeline of Indian women performance at continental level. Kamaljit Sandhu won a historic gold medal in the women 400 metre race at the 1970 Asian Games. P. T. Usha, Shiny Abraham and Sunita Rani achieved great success later, but none of them was the first woman from India to win an Asian Games gold. Remembering this early achievement by Kamaljit Sandhu helps to answer correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Kamaljit Sandhu is associated with an early Asian Games gold medal in athletics.Step 2: She won the women 400 metre event at the 1970 Asian Games.Step 3: This was the first time an Indian woman won a gold medal at the Asian Games.Step 4: P. T. Usha, Shiny Abraham and Sunita Rani delivered later achievements but chronologically came after Kamaljit Sandhu.Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer is Kamaljit Sandhu.

Verification / Alternative check:
Sports history reviews on Indian athletics frequently mention that Kamaljit Sandhu became the first Indian woman Asian Games gold medallist in 1970. In contrast, P. T. Usha is often highlighted for multiple medals and near Olympic success in the nineteen eighties, and Sunita Rani and Shiny Abraham for later distance and middle distance achievements. This comparison confirms that Kamaljit Sandhu holds the earliest gold medal for an Indian woman at the Asian Games.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
P. T. Usha is one of India s greatest athletes and earned many medals at Asian Games and Asian Championships, but she was not the first Indian woman to win a gold medal there. Shiny Abraham was a noted middle distance runner, and Sunita Rani excelled in distance running, yet both belong to later periods. Since the question asks specifically for the first such achievement, they cannot be correct answers.

Common Pitfalls:
Because P. T. Usha is a very famous name, many learners instinctively choose her for any question involving women athletics and Asian Games. Others may not be familiar with the earlier era and therefore ignore Kamaljit Sandhu. To avoid this, it is useful to remember the simple association: "first Indian woman Asian Games gold medallist – Kamaljit Sandhu in the 400 metre race in 1970."

Final Answer:
Kamaljit Sandhu was the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games.