Kasaragod (Kerala) | Olympian P T Usha, the renowned Indian athlete and coach, was on Monday conferred an honorary doctorate by the Central University of Kerala.

The ceremony took place at Sabarmati Hall, Periya Campus, where Vice Chancellor Professor H Venkateshwarlu conferred the degree upon Usha, making her the university's first recipient of the prestigious title, the varsity said in a release here.

In her speech, Usha recounted her heart-wrenching experience of missing out on an Olympic medal by one-hundredth of a second at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, it said.

The ace athlete, who is also the Indian Olympic Association president, explained the activities and achievements of Usha School of Athletics in identifying and nurturing sports talents.

Vice Chancellor Venkateshwaralu praised Usha as the pride of the nation and a role model for the youth.

He emphasised that it is the university's duty to honour and recognise such distinguished individuals who have inspired and contributed to their respective fields.

The CUK awarded the honorary doctorate to Usha in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Indian sports.