Roopa Unnikrishnan

{{Short description|Indian sport shooter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Roopa Unnikrishnan | image = RoopaUnnikrishnan.jpg | image_size = | caption = Unnikrishnan in March 2013 | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | nationality = American | residence = | alma mater = Women's Christian College, Ethiraj College, University of Oxford | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | website = | country = {{IND}} |sport= Sports shooting | event = | collegeteam = | universityteam = | club = | team = | turnedpro = | partner = | former_partner = | coach = | retired = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | paralympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's shooting}} {{Medal|Country|{{IND}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold| 1998 Kuala Lumpur|50 m rifle prone}} {{Medal|Silver| 1994 Victoria | Small Bore Rifle, Three Positions}} {{Medal|Bronze | 1994 Victoria | Small Bore Rifle, Three Positions – Pairs}}

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'''Roopa Unnikrishnan''' is an Indian-born American sports shooter and innovation consultant, based in New York City.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2018/mar/30/shooter-roopa-unnnikrishnan-star-who-shone-in-darkness-1794598.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331201603/http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2018/mar/30/shooter-roopa-unnnikrishnan-star-who-shone-in-darkness-1794598.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=31 March 2018 | title=Shooter Roopa {{as written|Unn|nikrishnan [sic]}}; Star who shone in darkness | publisher=New Indian Express | date=30 March 2018 | access-date=14 July 2018}}</ref> She serves as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development of IDEX Corporation. In 1998, she was the first Indian woman to ever win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, in the 50m rifle prone position event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=When Roopa Unnikrishnan became the first-ever Indian woman to clinch gold at Commonwealth Games |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/when-roopa-unnikrishnan-became-the-first-ever-indian-woman-to-clinch-gold-at-commonwealth-games-article-93119944 |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=TimesNow |date=25 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==Biography== Unnikrishnan won the Arjuna Award,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenrai.in/index.php/the-awardees/arjuna-award/185-roopa-unnikrishnan- |title=Roopa Unnikrishnan |publisher=Thenrai.in |date=2014-02-13 |access-date=2014-03-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303173224/http://www.thenrai.in/index.php/the-awardees/arjuna-award/185-roopa-unnikrishnan- |archive-date=2014-03-03 }}</ref> India's highest sporting prize (equivalent to sports hall of fame) presented by India's president in 1999. The award recognized her multiple global medals, including gold medal and record in the XVI Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1998, in women's prone sports rifle;<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DPP7O3nb3g0C&q=roopa+unnikrishnan&pg=PA13 |title=Students' Britannica India - Google Books |isbn=9780852297605 |access-date=2014-03-03|last1=Hoiberg |first1=Dale |year=2000 |publisher=Popular Prakashan }}</ref> Silver medal at the World Shooting Grand Prix, Ft. Benning, Georgia, 1998; hold several records at the South Asian level.

She has been a strong advocate for increased support for athletes in India,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/patrakaar/rohitbrijnath1.htm |title=Their Hearts Will Always Go On |publisher=Bharatiyahockey.org |date=1998-11-30 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref> where they continue to be resource constrained.

Though Shooting is a "Half Blue" sport at Oxford, Unnikrishnan was awarded an Extraordinary Full Blue, since she had won the Commonwealth medal, helped the Oxford team win in university leagues, and was the Captain of the Oxford Women's Shooting Team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rhodesproject.com/roopa-unnikrishnan-profile/ |title=Roopa Unnikrishnan profile — The Rhodes Project |publisher=Rhodesproject.com |date= |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref>

In 1995, she won a Rhodes Scholarship from India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Roopa Unnikrishnan profile |url=https://rhodesproject.com/roopa-unnikrishnan-profile |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=The Rhodes Project |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Sharpshooter in the Spotlight {{!}} NYU Tandon School of Engineering |url=https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/sharpshooter-spotlight |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=engineering.nyu.edu |language=en}}</ref>

She got her B.A. at Women's Christian College, Chennai; an M.A. at Ethiraj College, Chennai; an M.A. in Economic History at Balliol in Oxford; and an M.B.A from the Said School of Business in Oxford.<ref name=":0" />{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=May 2024}}

She was the Head of Strategy at Harman International in New York City and in 2022, joined IDEX Corporation as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-03-21 |title=Roopa Unnikrishnan Joins IDEX as SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development |url=https://www.idexcorp.com/news/news-item/roopa-unnikrishnan-joins-idex-as-svp-of-strategy-and-corporate-development/ |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=IDEX Corporation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Roopa Unnikrishnan - SVP, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at IDEX |url=https://theorg.com/org/idex/org-chart/roopa-unnikrishnan |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=THE ORG |language=en}}</ref>

She has contributed to The Economic Times and to Knowledge@Wharton.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-13/news/41375258_1_indian-women-new-companies-bill-women-representatives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821202349/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-08-13/news/41375258_1_indian-women-new-companies-bill-women-representatives |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 August 2013 |title=Companies Bill: More women in corporate boards mean more discipline, diversity and innovation - Economic Times |publisher=Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com |date=2013-08-13 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref>

In 2017, she published the book, ''The Career Catapult: Shake-up the Status Quo and Boost Your Professional Trajectory''.<ref>See also http://thecareercatapult.com/</ref>

==Personal life== Unnikrishnan was born to Indian Malayali Nair parents from Kannur, Kerala, India. became a US Citizen in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/column/an-indian-in-america/20130708.htm |title=An Indian in America - Rediff.com India News |work=Rediff.com |date=2013-07-08 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref> She is married to Sreenath Sreenivasan, former Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130810/news-current-affairs/article/arjuna-award-winner-helps-shoot-consumer-problems|title=Arjuna award winner helps shoot consumer problems|publisher=Deccan Chronicle|date=2013-10-08|access-date=2014-03-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714040417/http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130810/news-current-affairs/article/arjuna-award-winner-helps-shoot-consumer-problems|archive-date=2015-07-14}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unnikrishnan, Roopa}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for India Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in shooting Category:Commonwealth Games shooters for India Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for India Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in shooting Category:Women's Christian College, Chennai alumni Category:Shooters at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Shooters at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award Category:Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:American people of Malayali descent