The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : I am fine: Anju

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

Sport

Sport - Olympic Games

I am fine: Anju

By K.P. Mohan

NEW DELHI, AUG. 10. "I am fine," said Anju George. "She was unwell two weeks ago, why has everyone started talking about her illness now?" asked Bobby George, rather upset that he had to answer questions about it from the foreign media as well when actually he was the person who had been ill.

"There is nothing wrong with her," said Bobby on Tuesday, over phone from Athens. "She is doing her training and she has done some of her best training jumps today," he added.

Two weeks ago, when she competed at Stockholm she had a sore throat and a fever. No one, except family members, knew about it at that time. Before leaving Paris for Athens, Bobby told this correspondent that he had kept that information away from the media just to avoid any talk of Anju trying to find an `excuse'. She had jumped 6.60m then for the fifth place in the DN Galan Super Grand Prix.

With the Olympics just days away, the `sore throat' for India's star long jumper and medal hope naturally made `news'. Through the Internet and TV channels, the news spread fast. There was also a suggestion that the doctor at the Games Village in Athens could have prescribed `banned' medicines that could get her into trouble! The foreign media was quick to pounce on that angle.

"Anju took no medicines from the doctor. None was prescribed either. In fact she accompanied me since she wanted to have a word with the doctor. She had not really been feeling too well in the dry heat we faced on arrival.

She was told that the change in weather had caused her discomfort and things should improve in due course. There was no need for medicines," said Bobby.

It was Bobby who needed medical attention at Athens since he had a throat infection and fever. "Anju had been to a doctor in Paris, a doctor who was well versed with sports. We fixed up an appointment, through my friend there, and she took a course of antibiotics (amoxycilin) and Crocin," explained Bobby. Anju had been very susceptible to weather changes and pollution levels throughout her career. A sore throat or a cold has been rather routine with her.

"We will be better off without these distractions at this stage," said

Bobby. "There were calls from Mr. Kalmadi and Mr. Das Munshi, enquiring about Anju's health," he said.

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