Anju Bobby George is the first Indian athlete to win
a medal in World Athletics Championship. Anju entered record books when
she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in
Athletics in Paris. Anju Bobby George won the medal with a jump of 6.70
m in the penultimate round.
Anju started her athletics career with Heptathlon and later on moved to
Long Jump and Triple Jump. In 1999 Anju set the national record for
triple jump in the Bangalore Federation Cup. In 2001 Anju broke her own
record in Long Jump with an effort of 6.74 m in the National Circuit
Meet at Thiruvananthapuram. She won the bronze medal at the 2002
Commonwealth Games at Manchester and gold medal at the Asian Games in
Busan. Anju Bobby George finished sixth at the 2004 Athens Olympics but
achieved a personal best of 6.83 m.
Anju has won many awards and honours. She is the recipient of India's
highest sporting award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for the year 2003.
She was honoured with Padma Shri in 2004, and with Arjuna Award in the
year 2002.
