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Excitement at home as Anju jumps closer to medal
The phone has not stopped ringing at the home of Anju Bobby George, a day after the athlete qualified for the long jump finals at the Athens Olympics.
The phone has not stopped ringing at the home of Anju Bobby George, a day after the athlete qualified for the long jump finals at the Athens Olympics, becoming India's last hope for another medal.
The collective prayers of all the people in her village in Kottayam district seemed to have paid off with Anju jumping her way into the finals on Friday.
"She has not called so far. It is because this phone is busy all the time. We are really happy that she has made it to the final and now the wait till Saturday is going to be even more tense for all of us," Anju's mother Gracy told IANS on Thursday.
About 50 relatives of the athlete, who led the Indian squad at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, have camped at her residence in Nalumnakkal. They watched tearfully on Wednesday night as she jumped 6.69 metres to make it to the finals.
"Yes, she has brought great honour for the country and I just do not know what to say. All of us are praying. I feel she might win one of the three medals tomorrow," Gracy said.
To make the moments of waiting for the finals easier, the village church has organised a special mass at 7.30 am on Friday to pray for her success.
