Legendary Indian lengthy jumper Anju Bobby George on Thursday stated: “I live and breathe athletics and I aim for the Olympics, after being voted ‘Woman of the Year’ by World Athletics for grooming talent in the country and advocating gender equality.” To nurture the medal winners.” ,
44-year-old Anju, the one Indian to win a medal on the Senior World Championships with a bronze within the lengthy soar within the 2003 version, was nominated for the award for “dedicating her life to athletics” in the course of the world physique’s annual awards night time Was. Held nearly on Wednesday.
She is the primary Indian to be honored by the game’s world physique throughout its annual awards ceremony and is the second recipient of the award, after double Olympic champion Darartu Tulu of Ethiopia which started in 2019.
“It (athletics) is my passion. I live and breathe athletics. It has given me name and fame including this award and now it is my turn to give back to my country and the game,” Anju advised PTI in an interview from Bangalore.
“I gained a medal within the World Championships however not within the Olympics. But Neeraj Chopra’s gold in Tokyo has proven that Indians can win medals on the Olympics. My purpose and mission is to nurture expertise within the nation and make them Olympic medalists.”
Anju, who’s Senior Vice President of Athletics Federation of India, Executive Committee member of Indian Olympic Association and Athletes Commission member and in addition a part of nation’s Mission Olympic Cell, stated her sport has modified for the higher since then. his aggressive days.
“The world of sports activities is evolving and altering, not solely in sports activities however in each sphere of life. I’m now in Indian athletics, in amenities supplied by the federal government, in coaching and publicity journeys, teaching and different assist employees, than my time. I can see an enormous distinction.
“There is consciousness concerning the sport among the many basic public. People have began contemplating sports activities as a lifestyle. Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold was undoubtedly a booster however even earlier than that athletics began reaching college stage by means of applications like Khelo India.
“Like other countries, athletics has started taking root in schools and Indian athletics is moving in the right direction.”
When requested about sports activities administration and bringing gender equality within the subject of sports activities, she stated, “In each stroll of life, not solely in sports activities, girls are actually holding many accountable positions. Things have modified now.
“We are trying for girls to come out and take up athletics as a career option. This is happening across the country, though it is slow in some pockets,” stated Anju, crediting her husband and present SAI coach Robert for supporting her in her endeavours.
Asked if she desires to proceed on the prime publish in AFI or grow to be a council member of World Athletics in future, Anju stated, “No, I don’t have that ambition. I just want to groom talented athletes into Olympic medalists. That’s my goal.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
