NEW DELHI: Jinson Johnson, who won a gold and silver medal at the Asian Games 2018, has been awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award. Johnson clinched a gold medal in the 1500m race by clocking 3:44.72 time. He won a silver medal in the 800-meter category at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

He had participated in the 800 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2018 Commonwealth Games he had finished fifth setting a new national record in the 1500 metres race by breaking 23 year old record of Bahadur Prasad.

Johnson was born on 15 March 1991 in the town of Chakkittapara in Kozhikode district, Kerala. He did his schooling at the St. George's High School in Kulathuvayal and graduation at the Baselius College in Kottayam. He trained at the Kerala Sports Council's sports hostel in Kottayam, before joining the Indian Army in 2009. As of July 2015, he is posted as a junior commissioned officer at Hyderabad.

The Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in sports.