Anju Bobby George
About
Anju Bobby George is India's first Athletics World Championship medal winner and holds India's women's long jump national record. She achieved all this with a single kidney, which she later revealed only in 2020.
Anju Bobby George won the long jump gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Busan. In 2003, she won bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Paris, becoming India's first-ever podium finisher at a world athletics championship. She finished fifth in the long jump at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Anju Bobby George had a near-miss at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, where she fell just 0.03m short of winning a bronze medal. However, she quickly bounced back and went on to win a gold medal at the 2005 Asian championships in Incheon, followed by another gold at the IAAF World Athletics Final, where she was initially awarded silver but later upgraded to gold.
In the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Anju Bobby George continued to impress, winning a gold medal at the 2006 South Asian Championships and silver medals at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and the 2007 Asian Championships in Amman. Despite her impressive track record, her Olympic campaign in Beijing was a major disappointment as she fouled all three of her attempts in the qualifying round and was eliminated early.
Despite the setback, Anju Bobby George remained determined to win an Olympic medal and set her sights on the London 2012 Games. Unfortunately, her ambitions were cut short by an upper respiratory tract infection, which prevented her from competing and ultimately led to her retirement from international athletics.
Awards and accomplishments
Awards and accomplishments
- Bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics held in Paris, becoming the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics event.
- Gold medal in the Long Jump at the 2002 Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea.
- Silver medal in Long Jump at the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.
- Arjuna Award in 2002.
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2003, the highest sporting honor in India.
- Padma Shri in 2004, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
Why Anju Bobby George ?
Anju Bobby George is a former Indian athlete who is now involved in athletics as an administrator and mentor. She has held various positions such as senior vice-president of the Athletics Federation of India, chairperson of TOPS, and executive member of the Khelo India project. Additionally, she runs her academy called the Anju Bobby George Sports Foundation in Karnataka making her a perfect inspirational role model for upcoming events with her passion and dedication.
