Ahead of Tokyo Olympics 2020, former Indian athlete Anju Bobby George has praised the Modi government. She has heaped praises for PM Modi's support provided to sportspersons. George has made India proud, as she remains the first and only world champion from India at the IAAF World Athletics Final and is a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award.

In an interview with Indranil Basu on the Sony Sports channel, the highly accomplished athlete made the remarks over the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. George talking about the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020 emphasized over our Indian government giving much priority. She said "The Prime Minister is directly calling them after winning the medals. No one wants to leave (that opportunity).” She went on to explain the close involvement of the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India with the athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics. She added in her interview that this is for the first time in India that it is happening. Talking about her times, she briefed "During our time, even our Sports Minister was a visitor in Olympic village. Even after winning the World Championship medal, India celebrated in a big way but the Ministry side was nothing big. Yes, the Prime Minister (Dr Manmohan Singh) congratulated me, otherwise, nothing was there. But today the era is different, its so delightful to see that even before the games, the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is calling the athletes, interacting with them one to one, and encouraging them. Something big is happening in India. I am really missing out on fun and opportunities.” 

On being pointed out the active involvement of Kiren Rijiju, despite being an ex-sports Minister, Anju Bobby George further added, “He was very much into sport and he knows each athlete. Whenever we messaged or called, he was there. And he is ready to support." The retired athlete concluded, “They are supporting. They are behind us. They are giving to each athlete is showing the result. There is work on the grassroots level. There are long-term plans. Sports Authority of India is now planning for the 2028 Olympic Games and 2032 Olympic Games." She very specifically said that is how the system should work and there are a lot of opportunities for the younger kids from the grassroots level. It's very true that Indian sportspersons face a lot of trouble in achieving so much. Adequate funding is crucial for achieving professional success in the International arena. Not only one but all sports categories, with the great exception of cricket, have suffered from neglect and lack of training facilities. Moreover, athletes are often faced with sponsorship challenges, thereby making it difficult for them to excel. This all, in the end, has led to poor performance of India in the Olympics Games, which is why the Indian government launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme in September 2014. The program was monitored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, wherein it provided financial support and assistance to top athletes in the country. 

In the program, training by reputed coaches at world-class facilities, purchase of equipment, supporting the services of physical trainers, sports psychologists, mental trainers, and physiotherapists. The athletes are also provided with a monthly incentive of ₹50,000. The scheme covers sporting activities such as table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, hockey, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, and para-sports.

Also Read:

MP floods: Sheopur DC And SP transferred day after Union Minister faced Angry locals

Rajya Sabha MP demands extension of the monsoon session

After Haryana, Manipur govt showers money on Neeraj Chopra, gives this big award