BENGALURU: Nearly two decades have passed since long jumper Anju Bobby George won India's first medal, a bronze, at the World Championships in Paris but the former athlete, who is now busy planning the future of Indian athletics, clearly recollects the historic moment and her treasured collection -- a congratulatory message from President APJ Adbul Kalam that was hand delivered by the Indian embassy officials.
Anju, who went into the meet after climbing the podium at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, said looking back she felt that there were a few critical moments that prompted her to think about the factors that she had to overcome.
"My fourth jump, that was close to the 7m mark, was my best of the series but that was declared a foul by 2mm. Then when I went back to the run-up for my fifth jump, my check mark was missing. It was a huge shock as I had to do some mental calculations at the start of my run-up and take off. It turned out to be a flat jump but it still measured 6. 70m, my season's best," Anju told TOI here.
"My first task was to qualify for the final which I managed thanks to the mentoring of Bobby George. We had planned a three-month stint with Mike Powell but we were held up in Delhi for two months and finally managed just a month with Powell. But the crash course in the US helped me to fine-tune my technique as my sprint skill and approach rhythm both improved."
Laptop & fax in hand baggage
"In the run-up to the Worlds, my kidney issue flared up and doctors had advised me to take rest for five months," said Anju, who still has only one kidney.
The ace athlete recalled that in the absence of the current communication methods, they had to rely on email and fax. "I always had a heavy laptop and a printer-cum-fax machine in my handbag. We used to carry it around to all the places to facilitate the issue of visas connecting with New Delhi and the various embassies while travelling to different countries at short notice," Anju said.
Anju said it was a surreal feeling after climbing the podium. "I still treasure the message from president Kalam sir which read 'You created history'. It was given at a special function during which the flags of India and France were hoisted and presented as India's honour after playing the national anthem."
