Anju Bobby George: Former Olympians have to support our youngsters

The ace athlete shed light on the ways in which former sportspersons could assist young athletes.

Retired Indian athlete Anju Bobby George wishes for more Indian sportspersons to come into the assistance and help of the up and coming talents from the country.

“I hope that our former Olympians who are not engaged with other activities should come out and help the future generation. They have to support our youngsters,” she remarked in an Instagram live conversation with six-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan.

For the uninitiated, Anju Bobby George is a former recipient of the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri too. She is the nation’s first and so far the only athlete to win a medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final. In the discussion with Keshavan, the 43-year-old put some perspective with regards to the methods that are applied whilst coaching and training young athletes.

Anju Bobby George explained, “When you talk about mentoring, I have seen that when I tell something to a young athlete, the guys listen. It's because they know that I am talking from my experience. They realise that I have been at the highest level and I know what it takes to reach there and perform. They know that we are advising them about the right path.”

The veteran athlete elaborated that sportspeople persistently attempt to break the barriers and combat the numerous challenges that they face in their respective careers. Accordingly, they manage to attain the ultimate result. She observed, “They (former Olympians) can do many things. They can do wonders...If guys who have already experienced what’s it like to perform at a stage as big as the Olympics come out and support the youngsters, that can help push them even further.”

Anju Bobby George is doing considerable work in her own capacity to improve the current status of sports in our country. She is the chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association’s Athletes Commission and apparently perceives this task to be vital in the development of a proper eco-system for our sportspersons. “I think as a part of the IOA's Athletes Commission, we have a big role to play in ensuring that the athletes are taken care of,” mentioned the former Asian Games gold-medalist.

She asserted, “I look at it as a support system for the athletes. I look at the Athletes' Commission as the bridge between the international body (IOC), the Indian body (IOA) and the athletes.”

It is always heartening to witness former athletes contribute to the growth of sports after their playing days conclude, and several such individuals could now be seen doing their bit gradually.