Anju Bobby George

Anju Bobby George is an Indian former long jumper. She made history when she won the bronze medal in long jump at the World Championships in Athletics|2003 World Championships]. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal at the World Championships jumping. She went on to win the gold medal at the IAAF [World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final] in 2005, a performance she considers her best.
Anju was upgraded to the gold status from silver in the 2005 World Athletics Final following the disqualification of Tatyana Kotova of Russia by the World Athletics, after the re-testing of the latter's sample collected at the 2005 World Championship. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2002, Khel Ratna in 2003 and Padma Shri in 2004. She finished 5th position with a personal best of at the 2004 [Athens Olympics]. In March 2021, she won the BBC lifetime achievement award for best athlete in India. She is the current Senior Vice President of Athletics Federation of India.

Early life

Anju was born into the Kochuparambil family in the village of Cheeranchira near Changanassery town, Kottayam, Kerala to Syrian Orthodox Christian K. T. Markose.

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 Athletics at the [2004 Summer Olympics – Women's long jump|2004 Olympic Games] at Athens which brought her the fifth position. This is the current Indian national record.
She received the Arjuna award in 2002–2003 for eminent sportspersons 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 Bobby George pulled out of the 52nd national inter-state athletics in Hyderabad, due to an upper respiratory tract infection.

Anju is married to Robert Bobby George, who is a former national champion in triple jump and her former coach. She is employed with the Customs department in Bangalore. The couple has a son Aaron and a daughter Andrea.

Anju was appointed as president of the Kerala State Sports Council. She resigned from the post on 22 June 2016. She is the vice president of the Athletics Federation of India.