India's ace long jumper Anju Bobby George is already looking for another go at the Olympics.
Speaking to rediff.com after being conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by President A P J Abdul Kalam in Delhi on Tuesday, the World Athletics Championships bronze medallist said she has the tenacity and time to have one final shot at Beijing in 2008.
"Four years later I will be just 31 and hence I have time on my side to have another go for the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics," she declared.
Admitting she was disappointed with her performance at the Athens Games, she said the sixth pace finish in the women's long jump increased her resolve to do better.
"There are ups and down in all fields of life; sports is no exception. I was disappointed, but that makes me all the more determined to do better in the next Olympic Games," she said candidly, in between engrossed conversation with the Arjuna awardees at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
Anju will leave for Japan on Wednesday morning along with husband Robert, who received the Dronacharya award for his contribution as an athletics coach.
"I will be participating in an international athletics event in Tokyo on September 23. From there I go to Singapore to participate in the All-Asian Stars event, to be held on September 28. I am confident that I will return with medals from the two meets," she said with a broad smile.
Asked what does she say to her husband after each jump during competition, she replied: "I go and consult him about my running and style of jumping and make the necessary correction in the next attempt. When I make a wrong jump I know that I had overstepped."
Bobby George disclosed that Anju was feeling suffocated during her event at Athens. Because of the amount of dust that was flying around the stadium, he said, it was becoming difficult for her to breath.
"But I am not disappointed with her performance. It would have been better if she won a medal," he added.
This is the first instance that a husband and wife have been honoured with the Arjuna and Dronacharya award on the same day by the President of India.
