Bobby Aloysius

Last updated

Bobby Aloysius
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Dhyan Chand Award, 2018 to Ms. Bobby Aloysius for Athletics, in a glittering ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on September 25, 2018.JPG
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Dhyan Chand Award, 2018 to Bobby Aloysius
Personal information
NationalityIndian
Born (1974-06-22) June 22, 1974 (age 49)
Chemperi, Kannur, Kerala, India
Sport
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Sport Athletics
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Asian Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2000 Jakarta High jump
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2002 Colombo High jump
Asian Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Busan High jump

Bobby Aloysius (born 22 June 1974) is an Indian athlete from Kerala, who competes in the high jump event. Currently, she is residing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She held the Indian and South Asian records in high jump between 1995 and 2012 of 1.91m. [1] Bobby participated in the 2004 Athens Olympics, [2] won silver in 2002 Busan Asian Games and won gold in the Jakarta Asian Championships. [3]

Contents

Personal life

Bobby was born in Chemperi, Kannur, Kerala, India. [4] Bobby travelled around the world several times and eventually lived in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom until 2009. She had also worked as the Assistant Secretary (Technical) of Kerala State Sports Council in Thiruvananthapuram till 2013. She is married to Shajan Skariah, who is the founder and chief newsreader of an online channel named Marunadan TV. They have three children, Stefan Holm Skariah, Gangotri Skariah and Ritwik Skariah. She is an alumnus of Calicut University. [5]

Career

Bobby established the national record of 1.91m in women's high jump during the Olympic qualifications in 2004 in Chennai. [6] “I badly wanted to qualify for the Olympics and I put everything into that jump in Chennai and cleared 1.91m," she said in an interview at the Maharaja's Stadium in 2011. [7] Her national record remained unbeaten till 2012, when Sahana Kumari cleared 1.92 m for the London Olympics. [8] Bobby also won the women's High Jump event at the National Domestic Circuit Meet held in 2003 in Chennai, in addition to her international wins. [9]

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
2000 Asian Championships Jakarta, Indonesia 1st 1.83 m
2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester, United Kingdom 4th 1.87 m
Asian Championships Colombo, Sri Lanka 2nd 1.84 m
Asian Games Busan, South Korea 2nd 1.88 m
2003 Asian Championships Manila, Philippines 4th 1.80 m
Afro-Asian Games Hyderabad, India 2nd 1.88 m
2004 Asian Indoor Championships Tehran, Iran 2nd 1.81 m
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 28th (q) 1.85 m

Bobby has also worked with the Kerala state government to improve sports development in her state. Serving as the Assistant Secretary (Technical) of Kerala State Sports Council, Bobby organised the Sports Council's High Jump Carnival, held at Thiruvananthapuram with the athletes performing to heavy music in 2011. [10] She aimed to implement the higher secondary sports quota online allotment scheme during her service. In 2013, she submitted her resignation letter to KSSC as she claimed that they had denied her the opportunity to get appointed to the National Games Office by holding back the order. [11]

Awards

After applying for the Dhyan Chand Award multiple times and losing the chance to receive it, Bobby was finally awarded with it in 2018. [12] She was presented the award on 25 September by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan. [13] In one of her interviews, she said "I'm lucky to win it this time. I've been applying for this honour ever since Dhyan Chand Award was instituted in 2002.The honour will motivate me to take coaching seriously. After Nayana James left me after just one year of training under me, I stopped coaching. Now, I am planning to make a comeback to serious coaching." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anju Bobby George</span> Indian athlete

Anju Bobby George is a retired Indian athlete. Anju Bobby George made history when she won the bronze medal in long jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics jumping 6.70 metres (22.0 ft). She went on to win the gold medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005, a performance she considers her best. Anju was upgraded to the gold status from silver in the 2005 World Athletics Final in Monte Carlo following the disqualification of Tatyana Kotova of Russia by the International Association of Athletics Federations, following the recent re-testing of the latter's sample collected at the 2005 World Championship in Helsinki. She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2002, Khel Ratna in 2003 and Padma Shri in 2004. She had got 5th position with personal best of 6.83 metres (22.4 ft) at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In March 2021, Anju won the BBC lifetime achievement award for best athlete in India. She is also the current vice-president of the Athletics Federation of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhyan Chand</span> Indian field hockey player (1905–1979)

Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player, regarded by many as the greatest field hockey player in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey. His influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. M. Beenamol</span> Indian athlete

Kalayathumkuzhi Mathews Beenamol, popularly known as K. M. Beenamol, from Kombidinjal, Idukki district, Kerala is an international athlete from India.

The Khel Ratna Award, officially known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, is the highest sporting honour of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozhikode district</span> District of Kerala state, India

Kozhikode, or Calicut district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its Southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 67.15% urbanised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugathakumari</span> Indian poet and activist (1934–2020)

Sugathakumari was an Indian poet and activist, who was at the forefront of environmental and feminist movements in Kerala, South India. Her parents were the poet and freedom fighter Bodheswaran and V. K. Karthiyayini Amma, a Sanskrit scholar. She was the founder secretary of the Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature, and of Abhaya, a home for destitute women and a day-care centre for the mentally ill. She chaired the Kerala State Women's Commission. She played a prominent role in the Save Silent Valley protest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium</span>

The Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, commonly known by its former name National Stadium, is a field hockey stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named after former Indian field hockey player, Dhyan Chand. It served as the venue for the 1st Asian Games in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayookha Johny</span> Indian track and field athlete

Mayookha Johny is an Indian track and field athlete from Kerala who specialises in long jump and triple jump. She holds the current Indian National record for triple jump with a mark of 14.11 m. She is the first Indian woman to cross the fourteen-metre mark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro</span> Metro project

Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro is a proposed Light Metro system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozhikode Light Metro</span> Proposed mass rapid transport system (MRTS) in India

Kozhikode Light Metro is a proposed Light Metro system for the city of Kozhikode (Calicut), in India. In 2010, the State government explored the possibility of implementing a metro rail project for Kozhikode city and its suburbs. The proposal was to have a corridor connecting Meenchanda to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital through the heart of the city. An inception report was submitted by a Bangalore-based consultant, Wilber Smith, on the detailed feasibility study on the prospect of implementing the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) and Light Rail Transit System (LRTS) in the city. However, the project has been scrapped to be replaced by Kozhikode Monorail project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala United FC</span> Indian association football club based on Malappuram

Kerala United FC is an Indian professional football club based in Malappuram, Kerala. Founded in 1976 as Calicut Quartz, the club was an amateur and academy side during its early years. In December 2011, they announced intention to turn professional and participated in the I-League 2nd Division, currently the third tier of Indian club football. In 2020, "United World Group" took over the club and rebranded it as Kerala United.

In India, the sport of athletics was introduced during the period of the British Raj. The sport is governed at national level by the Athletics Federation of India, which was formed in 1946. Despite its large population, few Indian athletes have won a medal in a global or major championship. This began to change in the 21st century, when Indians started taking greater interest in athletics more generally and improved facilities for the sport began to be built at a local level. At a continental level, it has been among the more successful Asian nations, though some distance behind China and Japan.

Sahana Kumari Nagaraj Gobbargumpi is an Indian athlete who competes in the high jump event. She holds the current national record of 1.92 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutee Chand</span> Indian sprinter

Dutee Chand is an Indian professional sprinter and current national champion in the women's 100 metres event. She is the first Indian to win a gold medal in 100m race in a global competition. She is the third Indian woman to ever qualify for the Women's 100 metres event at the Summer Olympic Games. However, in the 2016 Summer Olympics, her 11.69 s in the preliminary round did not qualify her for the next round. In 2018, Chand clinched silver in women's 100m at the Jakarta Asian Games. It was India's first medal in this event since 1998. In 2019, she became the first Indian sprinter to win gold at the Universiade, clocking 11.32 seconds in the 100 m race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Koshy</span> Indian sport shooter

Elizabeth Susan Koshy, is an Indian shooter from Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariyappan Thangavelu</span> Indian Paralympic high jumper and Paralympic medalist

Mariyappan Thangavelu is an Indian Paralympic high jumper. He represented India in the 2016 Summer Paralympics games held in Rio de Janeiro in the men's high jump T-42 category and the 2020 Summer Paralympic games held in Tokyo in the men's high jump T-63 category, winning the gold medal and silver medal respectively in the finals. He is India's first Paralympian gold medalist since 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parassala B. Ponnammal</span> Indian Carnatic musician (1924–2021)

Parassala B. Ponnammal was an Indian Carnatic musician from the south Indian state of Kerala. She was a classical carnatic vocalist in the lineage of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and Papanasam Sivan. She was the first woman to perform at the Navaratri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram as a part of the Navaratri Celebrations of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala.

On July 5, 2020, 30 kilograms (66 lb) of 24 carat gold worth ₹14.82 crores was seized by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

References

  1. "It's Bobby Aloysius' day". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 4 June 2002. Archived from the original on 27 October 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  2. "The Olympics: 2004: Athletics: Newi student falls short in heats". Daily Post (Liverpool, England). 27 August 2004. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  3. Mohan, K. P. (30 August 2000). "Bobby Aloysius scales to a surprise gold". The Hindu . Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  4. "Bobby's Flop show is a big hit". The Indian Express . 22 July 1998. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  5. "Department of Physical Education". University of Calicut. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  6. "The wait is over for Bobby - Times of India". The Times of India. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  7. Rayan, Stan (9 December 2011). "Sport should be fun, says Bobby Aloysius". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  8. "Sahana Kumari qualifies for London Olympics". The Times of India. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  9. "ATHLETICS: Kerala's Bobby Aloysius Who won the women's High Jump event at the National Domestic... | The Hindu Images". thehinduimages.com. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  10. Rayan, Stan (9 December 2011). "Sport should be fun, says Bobby Aloysius". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  11. Tam, Kenneth; Hoz Salvador, Martin; McAlpine, Ken; Basile, Rick; Matsugu, Bruce; More, Josh (2013), "Extended UTM Functionality", UTM Security with Fortinet, Elsevier, pp. 249–305, doi:10.1016/b978-1-59-749747-3.00007-7, ISBN   9781597497473
  12. "Virat Kohli, Mirabai Chanu to receive Khel Ratna on September 25: Sports Ministry". Deccan Chronicle. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  13. "Bobby Aloysius receives the Dhyan Chand Award 2018 for her..." Getty Images. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. "The wait is over for Bobby - Times of India". The Times of India. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.