Awards and honours

Recipient of the Arjuna Award, 1984
Padma Shri, 1984
Greatest woman athlete, 1985 Jakarta Asian Athletic Meet
Best Athlete in Asia Award, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989
World Trophy for best Athlete, 1985, 1986
Adidas Golden Shoe award for the best athlete, 1986 Seoul Asian Games
Kerala Sports Journalists Award, 1999
Thirty international awards for her excellence in athletics.
To commemorate her excellent services to the nation through her consistent and determined efforts towards the sport of Athletics, P.T. Usha was honored with the Arjuna Award in the year 1983 and Padma Shri award in the year 1985. Apart from it, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) named her the Sportsperson of the Century and the Sports Woman of the Millennium. Also, she was named the Greatest Woman Athlete at Jakarta Asian Athletic Meet 1985 and given the World Trophy for Best Athlete in the years 1985 and 1986.