'Was criticised for wearing shorts, sleeveless T-shirts': Anju Bobby George

Anju Bobby George is a fighter. When at the age of 18, she was badly injured, the doctors told her that it would be the end of her career. Not wanting to go back, she hung around the national camp. Until the chief coach asked her what she was doing there when she had been advised to return. That moment, she decided that she was going to show him and the world what she could do. And she did, when she became the first Indian athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship in 2003; she won the bronze in long jump. She went on to win a gold at the World Athletics Finals two years later. She also holds the women’s national record for long jump in India.

This fighting spirit is what she wants to impart to the 16 women athletes she is mentoring at her academy―the Anju Bobby Sports Foundation. “It’s always good to have a mentor if you are in sports,” she said at the Alliance Literary Festival in Bengaluru. “For me, my husband Bobby [George, who was also her coach] was that mentor. He would support me no matter what. I had full faith in him.” These 16 women, she says, came to her at the ages of 14 or 15. They looked up to her as a role model. And now, she wants to train them so that others look up to them. “People have asked me when I will write a book,” she said. “I never managed to win an Olympic medal, even though it had been my biggest dream. I will write a book when one of my girls wins it.”

She sat with THE WEEK on the sidelines of the festival to talk about what she wants for women athletes today, how the situation has changed since the days when she was active in sports, and her advice to the young women of today.

During my time, the scene was very conservative. There were many religious and social barriers. I was criticised for wearing shorts and sleeveless T-shirts. I was scared to wear a two-piece like European athletes, even though that would have been more comfortable. My mother had to face a lot of resistance. “Why are you sending you daughter to do outdoor sports under the sun? She will not even get a good match,” she was told. My mother was bold enough to tell them about her dream for me. “One day,” she told them, “you will congratulate me for what I am doing for my daughter today.” She was such a large-hearted woman.

By God’s grace, I have not faced sexual harassment as an athlete. But I have faced sexism in many forms. I remember when I was participating in international competitions, no one was bothered about my uniform. So, I wore an oversized and ill-fitting one. I heard many comments from spectators about it. “Look at what she is wearing,” they said. “How did she manage to reach the finals in that?” But I never let any of this bother me. The more resistance I faced the more determined I became. I wanted to show them that I was not just anybody, that I was somebody.

After I brought home the medal, I was still not given a promotion at my government job with Customs. I fought for almost 10 years to change the rules. But they said that my time was over. Juniors below me would get ahead of me, so I resigned.

Today, things have changed radically. Women athletes are getting their due. They can focus on their game, instead of worrying about what they wear or anything like that, which was the case in my time. There are more women administrators in sports; I myself am a senior vice-president with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

There is still some urban-rural divide in India. I find rural athletes very talented, but unfortunately, they have less opportunities. Although that, too, is now changing with the internet and other avenues for knowledge dissemination. Though they face more opposition, they are finding the courage to make their voice heard and their talent noticed. Although urban kids have all the advantage, I find a complacency among them. They are preoccupied with their gadgets and don’t prioritise sports or outdoor activities. The challenges are different in urban and rural areas.

Through my foundation, I’m trying to nurture good human beings. If I can help one girl, I believe I am not just helping her or her family; I’m helping a village. Because she can go back and help her community. I want my girls to spread everywhere and continue this legacy. I’m moulding these girls to become good human beings and good ambassadors for the country. They looked up to me. Now, others are looking up to them. They are representing their country, so that confidence and self-belief should always be there in them.

What I want most for women athletes is a safe environment. Today, parents are scared to send their daughters away from home. As a woman athlete, I wish it was a fair and free space for all the girls out there. Despite the dangers, I don’t want women athletes to think that they have to behave a certain way. Girls shouldn’t have to sit or act a particular way because they feel they are being watched. So, my advice to all women athletes would be to believe in yourself. Take chances. Try to polish your talent. Dream high, and one day you will get there.

―As told to Anjuly Mathai