TOP FIVE SPORT PERSONALITIES IN INDIA

Anju Bobby George Anju Bobby George, made history when she won the bronze medal in Long Jump at the World Athletics Championships 2003 in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Athletics Championship clearing 6.70 m. Anju was born on April 19th, 1977 in Cheeranchira Kochuparambil family in Changanasseri, Kerala to parents K.T. Markos and Gracy. She was initiated into athletics by her father and her interest was further kindled by her trainer Mr. Thomas in Koruthode school. Koruthode School and graduated from Vimala College. In the School Athletic meet in 1991-92, she came first in 100 m hurdles and relay and second in long jump and high jump events and became the women's champion. Anju's talent was noticed in the national schools games where she won third place in 100 m hurdles and 4x100 m relay. She was the Calicut University Champion during her college days. Although she started with Heptathlon, she later began to concentrate on her jump events and went on to win long jump medal in the 1996 Delhi junior Asian championship. In 1999 Anju set the national record for triple jump in the Bangalore Federation Cup and Silver medal at the South Asian Federation Games in Nepal. In 2001 Anju bettered her own record in long jump to 6.74 m, her best till date in the National Circuit Meet at THIRUVANATHAPURAM in Kerala State. In the same year she also won gold for triple jump and long jump in the Ludhiana National games. Anju reigned supreme in her events in the Hyderabad National games also. Anju became the first women in India. win a bronze medal clearing 6.49 m at the Commonwealth Games at Manchester 2002. She also won the gold medal at the Busan Asian Games. She received the prestigious Arjuna ward (2003) for eminent sports persons from the government of India after her success in the World Athletic meet. Anju now ranks 6th in the world. Anju's journey to success from rank 61 in 2001 to rank 6 in 2003 within a short span of two years. The credit for her success goes to her husband and coach Bobby George who according to her was the biggest influence who helped her in realising her potential and achieving the goal. Bobby who is a Mechanical Engineer and a former National Champion in Triple jump himself, gave up his career to become a full time coach to Anju in 1998. He belongs to a prestigious sports family and is the younger brother of the famous Volley ball player Jimmy George. Anju and Bobby, realizing that international exposure is essential for competing in World class events made necessary arrangements and trained with Mike Powell, a world record holder before the World Athletics meet which gave her valuable exposure in technique. Both Anju and Bobby George work in the customs department and are settled in Chennai. Anju now has her sights on the Olympic gold at Athens 2004 and will train in California for the event. Saina Nehwal Born into a badminton family in Haryana on March 17th, 1990, Saina has the initial advantage of having the game implanted in her genes. Both her father, Dr. Harvir Singh and mother Usha Rani were former State Badminton Champions in Haryana. The family being settled in Hyderabad, Saina started training for the game under Nani Prasad, the Badminton Coach at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad at the tender age of eight. Later in her career, Saina has trained under S.M. Arif, a Dronacharya Award winning Badminton Coach, and is now receiving Coaching at the Pullela Gopichand's Academy of Badminton at Hyderabad. Performance at the National level Saina already has a number of prestigious victories in her career. She became the National Junior Champion in the year 2004, and again 2005. She won the National Senior Championship in three consecutive years 2006, 2007 and 2008. Apart from these, she has won the All India Jr. Ranking Tournaments of the year 2005 held at Chennai, Cochin, Bangalore and Pune. She further won the All India Senior Ranking Tournament held at Mumbai in 2005, and became the winner at the National Games held at Guwahati. International Performance A major break in Saina's career came with her victory in the Junior Czech Open, which took place in the year 2003. In the next year, she reached the Quarter Final at the Cheers Asian Satellite tournament held at Singapore. At the India Satellite tournament she emerged as the winner in 2005 and 2006 and also claimed the Bingo Bonanza Philippines Open title in the year 2006. She reached the pre-quarter final round at the All England Open where she lost to World No. 3 player from China. She also reached the Quarter Final rounds at the Macau Open tournament 2007 and the Dutch Open tournament 2007. Her victory in the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold tournament came in 2008. Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman ever to reach the Quarter Final round of the Badminton singles event at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. She is also the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. Saina Nehwal's most impressive performance so far has been her victory at the Indonesian Open where she defeated higher-ranked Chinese Lin Wang in Jakarta in June 2009. With this she became the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament. At the ongoing World Badminton Championship at Hyderabad, Saina suffered a straight-game loss to the same Lin Wang of (21-16, 21-19) at the quarter finals. Sania Mirza, Born to parents, father Imran Mirza a sports journalist and mother Nasima, it was Sania's father Imran who initiated her into the game and who has always encouraged her to be the best. She started practicing under CK Bhupati, India's top tennis player Mahesh Bhupati's father. She learnt the professional game at Sinnet Tennis Academy in Secunderabad before moving to Ace Tennis Academy in the USA. Now she is managed by Mahesh Bhupati's company Global Sports and has a specialist advisor Bob Brett who was Boris Becker's coach earlier. Sania played her first international tournament in 1999 when she represented India at the World Junior Championship at Jakarta. Mirza's big boost came in 2002 when Paes decided to take her as his mixed doubles partner at the Asian Games. The duo went on to claim the bronze medal. The rise has been steady since then. In 2003, Sania at 16years did India proud by becoming the youngest and first ever Indian to figure in the main draw of the girls' doubles junior Wimbledon tennis championship and winning the first Grand Slam Title.. Sania partnered 13-year-old Russian Alisa Kleybanova and defeated Katerina Bohmova of the Czech Republic and Michaela Krajicek of the Netherlands 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. It was after a long haul of 51 years that an Indian girl figured again in the final of a Grand Slam, the last being Rita Dabur, who had finished runner-up in the singles event in 1952. A winner of 21 International Tennis Federation (ITF) titles, Sania won over Petra Mandula of Hungary defeating her 6-2, 6-1 in the second round of the women's singles at the Australian Open Title. this victory, she has become the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. Sania Mirza outlasted the Ukraine's Alonya Bondarenko to win the Open WTA tour event in her native town Hyderabad and became the youngest and first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title. Sachin Tendulkar Sachin tendulakr was born in April 24, 1973, in Mumbai. Young Sachin wanted to be a fast bowler. He even undertook trials at the MRF pace foundation, Chennai, but his short stature proved to be a hindrance for bowling. Meeting Mr. R. Achrekar, his Cricket Coach and changing his school to Shardashram Vidya Mandir in Dadar marked a turning point in Sachin Cricket Career. The pride of Sachin Tendulkar , was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in one -day cricket, in a five-day match series against Austrlia on the 31st of March 2001. He has scored a world record, 28 hundreds and 50 half-centuries in his 10,000 runs. A perennial crowd-favorite. He is the only indian Cricketer to recieve the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour for his performance in 1997-98. Sachin at the age of 16, made his International debut in Odi's India v Pakistan at Gujranwala abd Tests debut India v Pakistan at Karachi around 1989/90. He then went to England as a part of the national team, and has not looked back ever since. He knows every shot in the book and makes his own omprovations. His shots have tremendous power and he times the ball perfectly, making him one of the best batsman in the world. He is also an effective bowler and also one of the best fielders. This all rounder has been the captian of the Indian Cricket team twice. On the personal front, sachin is god fearing and he is married to a doctor Anjali and they have a two children _ Sara and Arjun. In 1998 he won the coopers and Lybrand Award for Player of the year and he has been in the number one position in the Wisden Cricket Ratings. Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan Anand well known as 'Vishy, the tiger from Chennai' is the first Asian to win the World Chess Championship title. He was born on December 11, 1969 in Chennai to Krishanamurthy Viswanathan and susheela. His father is a retired general manager, Railways. Anand completed his schooling from Don Bosco School and finished his B.com from Loyola College in Chennai. He started playing at the age of 6. He learned the game from his mother becuase his brothers did not have the patience to play chess with him. His parents encouraged him and used to take him to the Tal Chess club. Young Anand had an expectional memory power and an ability to grasp things fast which made him excel in Chess. He has won many titles even from a young age. Anand became India's sub-Junior Chess champion at 13 and at sixteen he became the National Champion. In 1987, he became the first Asian to win the World Junior Chess Championship at Baguio City, Philippnies and in 1988, at the age of eighteen, Anand became India's First Grandmaster. In 1992, he won the formidable Reggio Emilia tournament ahead of the Russian Grand masters Garry Kasprov and Anatoly Karpov. He was the runner up to Kasprov in world Championship final in 1995. He beat Kasprov in the rapid chess tournament in September 96 and Kasprov in june 97 in Hamburg Rapid Chess. Anand outplayed the most popular chess software programme, Fintz in july ,99. He won the titleon 24th December 2000, defeating Spain's Alexei Shirovyoungest at Teheran and became the first Asian to take the world title, But his victory was over shadowed by the chess world's two competing chess titles one by the International Federation of Chess and the Professional Association of Chess led by Kasprov. Anand married Aruna in 1996 and the supports him in his preparations for the tournaments. He live sin Collado Mediano in spain with Aruna. This genius , although he has achieved so much still remains simple in character. His Hobbies are reading, swimming and listening to music. Anand has also recieved many awards. Arjun Award for outstanding Indian Sportsman in 1985. Padma sri Award(1987), National Citizens Award and Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1987, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1991-92), Padma Bhushan Award (2000), Chess Oscar 4 times (1997,98,2003,040 and so on. He wrote a book 'My Best Games of Chess' for which he got the british Chess Federation ' Book of the Year' Award in 1998.