Home Gallery Kerala's Sporting Heroes Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees from Kerala

Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees from Kerala

Anju Bobby George, Athletics

 

Anju Bobby George

 

Born:  Changanassery, Kottayam Kerala on 19th April 1977

 

Achievements:

  • Won in long jump in the 1996 Delhi Junior Asian championship.
  • Set the national record in 1999 for triple jump in the Bangalore Federation Cup and won silver medal at the South Asian Federation Games in Nepal.
  • In 2001 improved upon her own record in long jump to 6.74 m in the National Circuit Meet at Thiruvananthapuram. Also won gold the same year for triple jump and long jump in the Ludhiana National games.
  • Won the bronze medal clearing 6.49 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester.
  • Won gold medal at the Asian Games in Busan.
  • Won the bronze medal clearing 6.70 m in Long Jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, becoming the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics.
  • Won gold medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games.
  • Achieved her personal best of 6.83 m at the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens that brought her the sixth position. This is the current Indian national record.
  • Won gold medal in the women's long jump at the 16th Asian Athletics Championship in September 2005 at Incheon City, South Korea with a leap of 6.65 metres.
  • Won the gold medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005 with a leap of 6.75 m, her best ever performance.
  • Won silver medal in women's long jump in 15th Asian Games, 2006 held at Doha.
  • Won silver medal in 17th Asian Athletics Championship at Amman(Jordan) in 2007 with a jump of 6.65m, thus qualifying for Osaka World Championship in August 2007 where she finished 9th.
  • Won silver medal in 3rd Asian Indoor Championship in athletics at Doha (Qatar) in 2008 with a jump of 6.38m; improved her distance to 6.50m and won gold in the 3rd South Asian Athletics Championship at Kochi (Kerala, India).

Awards:

  • Arjuna award in 2002–2003.
  • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2003–2004.  
  • Padma Sri  2004. 

 

K. M. Beenamol, Athletics

 

Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Beenamol
 

Born: Kombidinjal, Idukki, Kerala on 15th August, 1975

 

Achievements

  • Third Indian woman to reach an Olympics semi-final since P. T. Usha & Shiny Wilson
  • Won the first heat at the Sydney Olympics 2000
  • Won silver medal at the 2000 Jakarta Asian Championships in 400m women
  • Won the gold medal in women's 800m and the 4x400m women's relay in the 2002 Busan Asian Games
  • Made history with her brother K. M. Binu, when they became the first Indian siblings to win medals in a major international competition. Binu won a silver medal in men's 800m race at Busan.
  • Finished in sixth position at Athens Olympics 2004 in 4x400m women's relay clocking a national record time of 3: 26: 89

Awards:

  • Joint winner of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2002-2003
  •  Padma Sri 2004