Anju Bobby George

             Anju Bobby George

Personal information
Born
19 April 1977 (age 37)
Changanassery , Kerala, India
Sport
Country
India
Sport
Athletics
Event(s)
Long jump
Triple jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
Long jump: 6.83 m NR
(Athens 2004)
Triple jump : 13.67 (Hyderabad 2002)
Medal record
World Championships
Bronze
2003 Paris
Long jump
World Athletics Final
Gold
2005 Monte Carlo
Long jump
Commonwealth Games
Bronze
2002 Manchester
Long jump
Asian Games
Gold
2002 Busan
Long jump
Silver
2006 Doha
Long jump
Asian Championships
Gold
2005 Incheon
Long jump
Silver
2007 Amman
Long jump
Updated on 10 July 2013.
Anju Bobby George (born 19 April 1977) is an
Indian athlete. Anju Bobby George made history
when she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at
the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in
Paris. With this achievement, she became the first
Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World
Championships in Athletics jumping 6.70 m. She
went on to win the Gold medal at the IAAF World
Athletics Final in 2005, a performance she
considers her best. Anju has been upgraded to
gold status from silver in the 2005 World Athletics
Final in Monte Carlo following the disqualification of
Tatyana Kotova of Russia by the International
Association of Athletics Federations, following the
recent re-testing of the latter’s sample collected at
the 2005 World Championship in Helsinki. [1]
Early life
Anju was born in Kochuparambil family in
Changanassery , Kerala to K. T. Markose. [2] She
was initiated into athletics by her father and her
interest was further developed by her trainer in
Koruthode school. She did her schooling in CKM
Koruthode School and graduated from Vimala
College. In the school athletic meet in 1991–92,
she won the 100 m hurdles and relay and stood
second in long jump and high jump events, thus
becoming the women's champion. Anju's talent
was noticed in the national schools games where
she won third place in 100 m hurdles and 4x100
m relay. She was in Calicut University .
Professional career
Although she started with Heptathlon, she later
began to concentrate on her jump events and went
on to win long jump medal in the 1996 Delhi junior
Asian championship. In 1999 Anju set the national
record for triple jump in the Bangalore Federation
Cup and Silver medal at the South Asian Federation
Games in Nepal. In 2001 Anju bettered her own
record in long jump to 6.74 m in the National
Circuit Meet at Thiruvananthapuram . In the same
year she also won gold for triple jump and long
jump in the Ludhiana National games. Anju reigned
supreme in her events in the Hyderabad National
games also. She won the bronze medal clearing
6.49 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games at
Manchester . She also won the gold medal at the
Asian Games in Busan.
Anju made history when she won the bronze
medal clearing 6.70 m in Long Jump at the 2003
World Championships in Athletics in Paris,
becoming the first Indian athlete ever to win a
medal in a World Championships in Athletics. She
also won a gold medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian
Games . She achieved her personal best of 6.83 m
at the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens that brought
her the sixth position. This is the current Indian
national record. [3][4]
In September 2005, Anju won the gold medal in
the women's long jump at the 16th Asian Athletics
Championship in Incheon City of South Korea with
a leap of 6.65 metres. She went on to win the Gold
medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005
with a leap of 6.75 m, a performance she
considers her best. She won silver medal in
women's long jump in 15th Asian Games, 2006
held at Doha. In 2007, Anju won silver medal in
17th Asian Athletics Championship at Amman
( Jordan) with a jump of 6.65m and this qualified
her for Osaka World Championship in August 2007
where she finished 9th. Anju start her 2008 season
with silver medal in 3rd Asian Indoor
Championship in athletics at Doha (Qatar) with a
jump of 6.38m and she improved her distance to
6.50m by winning gold in the 3rd South Asian
Athletics Championship at Kochi ( Kerala, India).
She received the prestigious Arjuna award in
2002–2003 for eminent sports persons from the
government of India and the country's highest
sporting honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in
2003–2004 after her success in the World Athletic
meet. She was conferred Padma Shri , India's
fourth highest civilian award in 2004. Anju was
ranked 28th in the 12 February 2007 rankings of
the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF)(She was once ranked World No.
4).
Anju's journey to success from rank 61 in 2001 to
rank 6 in 2003 within a short span of two years,
was one of sheer hard work and intensive
planning. The credit for her success goes to her
husband and coach Robert Bobby George who
according to her was the biggest influence who
helped her in realising her potential and achieving
the goal. Bobby who is a Mechanical Engineer and
a former National Champion in Triple jump himself,
gave up his career to become a full-time coach to
Anju in 1998. He belongs to a prestigious sports
family and is the younger brother of the famous
volleyball player Jimmy George. Anju and Bobby,
realising that international exposure is essential for
competing in World class events made necessary
arrangements and trained with Mike Powell , a
world record holder, before the World Athletics
meet, which gave her valuable exposure in
technique.
She contested at the 2004 Athens Olympics , but
failed to win a medal. She also contested at the
2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to qualify for the
women's long jump event fouling in all her three
attempts.
Anju Bobby George pulled out of the 52nd National
inter-state athletics in Hyderabad,due to an upper
respiratory tract infection. [5]
Personal life
Anju is married to Robert Bobby George who is a
former National Champion in triple jump & her
coach too. She is employed with the Customs
department in Bangalore .The couple have a son
Aaron & a daughter Andrea. [6]
See also
List of Indian women athletes
List of Kerala Olympians
Indian Squad for 2008 Olympics
Indian national records in athletics
References
1. ^ "Anju Bobby George is now a gold
medallist" . The Hindu (Chennai, India). 14
January 2014.
2. ^ http://www.indiaonlinepages.com/sports/
athletics/athletes/anjubobby-george.html
3. ^ "National records" . ATHLETICS FEDERATION
of INDIA. 2011-12-31. Retrieved
2013-08-17.
4. ^ "Anju Bobby George is now a gold
medallist" . The Hindu (Chennai, India). 14
January 2014.
5. ^ "Anju's Olympic hopes suffer setback" . The
Times Of India . 23 June 2012.
6. ^ http://www.mangalam.com/women/
personality/138350?page=0,1