Former athlete Anju Bobby George on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for transforming sports in the country. « As a sportswoman, I have been here for 25 years. What I see yesterday and today is a lot of changes, » she said during a speech at a Christmas event in the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
George spoke about the transformation of the sport during his long sporting career. She recalled the lukewarm reaction of her time and the way the country and leaders celebrate the achievements of today’s athletes.
« When I received India’s first world medal 20 years ago, even my department was not ready to give promotion. But after Neeraj (Chopra) got a medal, I saw the changes. The way we celebrate. How you celebrate, and how India celebrated – I envy them. I was in the wrong era, » she said.
George, who won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris, acknowledged that through ‘Khelo India’ and ‘Fit India’ people were talking about sports and Indian athletes were performed very well on the international stage. She credited Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for this transformation.
The former renowned athlete also spoke about how women’s empowerment was becoming a reality. “All Indian girls are ready to dream and they know that their dreams will come true one day,” she said while welcoming India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister interacted with the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas. George was among the celebrities who attended the event. She praised the Prime Minister’s zeal for promoting sports and said: « I think in the near future we will be at the top. »
George won a gold medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games. She achieved her personal best of 6.83 m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, which gave her the fifth position. She received the Arjuna Award in 2002, the Khel Ratna in 2003 and the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor, in 2004.
