Former athlete Anju Bobby George on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for transforming sports in the country. "As a sports person, I have been here for 25 years. What I am seeing then and now - a lot of changes," she said while speaking at a Christmas event at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence.
George mentioned the transformation of sports over her long sports career. She recalled the tepid response in her times and how the country and the leadership celebrate today's athletes' accomplishments.
"When I got India's first global medal 20 years back, even my department was not ready to give promotion. But after Neeraj (Chopra) got a medal, I am seeing the changes. The way we are celebrating. How you are celebrating, 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 Championships in Athletics in Paris, acknowledged that through 'Khelo India' and 'Fit India', sports were being talked about and Indian athletes were doing great in the international arena. She credited Prime Minister Modi's leadership for the transformation.
The former ace athlete also touched upon how women's empowerment was becoming a reality. "Every Indian girl is ready to dream and they know that their dreams will come true one day," she said while expressing happiness for India's proposal for hosting the 2036 Olympics.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister interacted with the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas. George was among the prominent persons 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 bagged 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 brought her the fifth position. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2002, Khel Ratna in 2003 and Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, in 2004.