women notable for athletics( PROUD OF THEM)

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BALASUBRAMANYA B N

CCI STUDENT....

44687 Points Joined January 2009

Anju Bobby George

Anju Bobby George (Malayalam: അഞ്ജു ബോബി ജോര്‍ജ്ജ്) (born April 19, 1977) is an Indian athlete. Anju Bobby George made history when she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics clearing 6.70 m. She went on to win the silver medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005, a performance she considers her best.

Early life

Anju was born in Kochuparambil family in Changanassery, Kerala to K.T.Markose. She was initiated into athletics by her father and her interest was further developed by her trainer in Koruthode school. She did her schooling in CKM Koruthode School and graduated from Vimala College. In the School Athletic meet in 1991-92, she won the 100 m hurdles and relay and stood second in long jump and high jump events, thus becoming the women's champion. Anju's talent was noticed in the national schools games where she won third place in 100 m hurdles and 4x100 m relay. She was in Calicut University

[edit] Professional career

Although she started with Heptathlon, she later began to concentrate on her jump events and went on to win long jump medal in the 1996 Delhi junior Asian championship. In 1999 Anju set the national record for triple jump in the Bangalore Federation Cup and Silver medal at the South Asian Federation Games in Nepal. In 2001 Anju bettered her own record in long jump to 6.74 m in the National Circuit Meet at Thiruvananthapuram. In the same year she also won gold for triple jump and long jump in the Ludhiana National games. Anju reigned supreme in her events in the Hyderabad National games also. She won the bronze medal clearing 6.49 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester. She also won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Busan. She 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 achieved her personal best of 6.83 m at the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens that brought her the sixth position. In September 2005, she won the gold medal in the women's long jump at the 16th Asian Athletics Championship in Incheon City of South Korea with a leap of 6.65 metres. She went on to win the silver medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005 with a leap of 6.75 m, a performance she considers her best.She won silver medal in women's long jump in 15th Asian Games,2006 held at Doha. In 2007, Anju won silver medal in 17th Asian Athletics Championship at Amman ( Jordan) with a jump of 6.65m and this qualified her for Osaka World Championship in August 2007 where she finished 9th. Anju start her 2008 season with silver medal in 3rd Asian Indoor Championship in athletics at Doha ( Qatar) with a jump of 6.38m and she improved her distance to 6.50m by winning gold in the 3rd South Asian Athletics Championship at Kochi ( Kerala, India).

She received the prestigious Arjuna award in 2002-2003 for eminent sports persons 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 was ranked 28th in the February 12, 2007 rankings of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)(She was once ranked World No. 4).

Anju's journey to success from rank 61 in 2001 to rank 6 in 2003 within a short span of two years, was one of sheer hard work and intensive planning. The credit for her success goes to her husband and coach Robert Bobby George who according to her was the biggest influence who helped her in realising her potential and achieving the goal. Bobby who is a Mechanical Engineer and a former National Champion in Triple jump himself, gave up his career to become a full time coach to Anju in 1998. He belongs to a prestigious sports family and is the younger brother of the famous volleyball player Jimmy George. Anju and Bobby, realising that international exposure is essential for competing in World class events made necessary arrangements and trained with Mike Powell, a world record holder, before the World Athletics meet, which gave her valuable exposure in technique.

She contested at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but failed to win a medal. She also contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympics But failed to qualify for the women's long jump event fouling in all her three attempts .

Anju is employed with the Customs department. They live and train in Bengaluru.

Replies (3)

BALASUBRAMANYA B N

CCI STUDENT....

44687 Points Joined January 2009

Geeta Zutshi

Geeta Zutshi (born December 2, 1956) was a famous Indian athlete. She established several national and Asian running records in 800 m and 1500 m track events.

Zutshi won the women's 800 m gold metal in the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok and won silver medals for the 800 m in 1982, and for the 1500 m in both 1978 and 1982. [1] As the top Indian woman athlete at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, she took the oath on behalf of the competitors during the opening ceremony. [2]. For her achievements she has been awarded the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri.

She has inspired other Indian women, such as Bachendri Pal, the first to climb Mount Everest. As a child, Pal began to aspire to national fame after seeing a newspaper photograph of Zutshi with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. [3]

She was coached by Mohammad Ilyas Babar. After 17 years in the United States, she returned to India in July, 2002, and took over as coach of the Indian junior athletics team (800m and 1500m).

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Venue	Result	Extra
1978	Asian Games	Bangkok, Thailand	1st	800 m
1978	Asian Games	Bangkok, Thailand	2nd	1500 m
1981	Asian Championships	Tokyo, Japan	1st	800 m
1981	Asian Championships	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	1500 m
1982	Asian Games	New Delhi, India	2nd	800 m
1982	Asian Games	New Delhi, India	2nd	1500 m

BALASUBRAMANYA B N

CCI STUDENT....

44687 Points Joined January 2009

M. D. Valsamma

Manathoor Devasia Valsamma (born 29 October 1960), was an Indian athlete. She was the third Indian woman to win an individual Gold medal at the Asian Games and the first to win it on Indian soil.

Early life

Valsamma was born at Ottathai in Kannur district of Kerala. Nicknamed "Valsu", she started her athletics career during school days though she only took it more seriously when she moved to Mercy College, Palakkad, for further studies. Her first medal was for Kerala in the 100 metres hurdles in the Inter-University Championship in 1979.

She got a job with Southern Railway and was coached by A. K. Kutty. She created a great impression at the Inter-State Meet at Bangalore in 1981 by winning five Gold Medals, the hurdles over 100 and 400 metres in addition to the 400 metres flat and the 400m and 100m relays. That performance catapulted her into the Railway and national teams and in 1982 she became the national champion over 400-metre hurdles with a new record, which was also better than the Asian record.

Professional Athletics Career

Valsamma won the Gold medal in the 400m hurdles in an Indian and Asian record time of 58.47 seconds in front of a home crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the 1982 Asian Games. This made her the third woman athlete to win an Asian Games gold for India ,after Kamaljit Sandhu (400 metres-1974) and Geeta Zutshi (800 metres-1978).^[1] She later figured in a silver medal winning 4 X 400 metres relay team. She won the Arjuna Award in 1982 and the Padma Shri in 1983 and the G. V. Raja cash award from Kerala Government.

After being eliminated early in the 400m hurdles in the Los Angeles Olympics, Valsamma began concentrating more on 100m hurdles. She won a gold in the 100m hurdles and a silver in 400m hurdles in the first National Games in 1985. She won a silver in the quarter-mile in the Malaysian Open and gold and silver in 4 x 400 metres 4 x 100 metres relay in the Asian Track & Field Meet in Delhi.

Valsamma also appeared in the Spartakiad 1983 in Moscow, the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Islamabad fetched her bronze in the 100 metres, a Silver in the quarter-mile and the Gold m the 4 x 400 metres relay. In the Beijing Asian Games, where she won silver medals in the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 400 metres relay races.^{[citation needed]}

In a career spanning nearly 15 years, M.D. Valsamma took part in World Cup meets in Havana, Tokyo, London, the Asian Games editions of 1982, 86, 90 and 94 and in all the Asian Track & Field meets and SAF Games, leaving her mark in each and every competition.