Anju finds sponsor, jumps with joy

BANGALORE: Anju Bobby George seems to have reached the right track — the long jump star has bagged a sponsorship for this crucial Olympic year.The relief was obvious on her face, as well as that of husband and coach Robert Bobby George, at a press conference where Sobha Developers announced a yearlong sponsorship. Announcing the decision to reporters in Bangalore on Wednesday, Sobha Group chairman P.N.C. Menon said: "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. We offer to fund Rs 30 lakh for one year. Our only hope is that she wins a medal at the Olympics." It is a move perhaps unprecedented on the Indian athletic scene.With monetary struggles behind them, Robert George said, "Now that we are financially secure, we can concentrate solely on training. We are very thankful to Sobha, especially as they stepped in at the right time. Even a month''s delay would have been a setback."Anju had been looking for a sponsor following her bronze medal victory at the Paris World Athletics Championships. Her efforts to secure financial stability gained momentum when the central government failed to keep its promises of cash awards for medals won at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and Busan Asian Games last year. In an interview with The Times of India last week, Anju had said that a sponsor would eliminate the need to rely on government help. That goal has now been realised.It is learnt that the promised cash award is likely to be released in April next year. Following a debate in Parliament last week, the finance ministry took up the payment issue. "The government''s reason for the delay is lack of funds," said Robert."Uma Bharti (then sports minister) had made the announcement in the middle of the financial year, so it could not be implemented. The government should have sanctioned the money at the start of the current financial year — April 2003, but nothing was done. Hopefully they will take up the issue next year," he added.The ''file'' is now with the finance ministry. Should things go according to plan, Anju, the only Indian athlete to qualify for the meet, will participate in the World Indoor Championships in Budapest in March — her first event for the year. She will then travel to Osaka and Qatar before leaving for Europe."Prior to the World Championships in Paris, we spent around nine weeks in Europe. That helped tremendously. Now, we can set up a training base in Europe, perhaps in Berlin,Valencia or Paris. It would go a long way in preparing for the Olympics," said Robert.