All the four athletes with the authors of the book. Image : Revsportz
Shourjyani Chatterjee
The city came alive with the spirit of fitness as the 10th edition of the Jai Balaji Group Kolkata Marathon celebrated a decade of perseverance and unity. The marathon is organised by Sportiz, in collaboration with the Jai Balaji Group, and certified by AIIMS and World Athletics. Itis scheduled to take place on November 30, 2025. The marathon has regularly attracted 15,000 participants in a variety of categories, including the Half Marathon and the Cosplay Run.
In addition to the marathon, authors Trisha Ghosal, Soumyajit Das Chowdhury and Gargi Raut co-curated the book “Feats of Joy”, which was published with editorial assistance from Dr Boria Majumdar. The book was launched on November 9, 2025, in the presence of four well-known athletes – Anju Bobby George, Joydeep Karmakar, Dola Banerjee, and Mehtab Hussain. They shared their stories of hardship, resilience and the value of contributing something back to sports on the day of the book launch.
India’s first Athletics World Championship medalist, Anju recalled how a lady at the embassy once made fun of her efforts before allowing her to travel overseas, asking if she would “just waste their money or actually bring back a medal”. Coincidentally, the same lady was present at the airport to receive her after she had won the medal. Anju smiled at the lady and that was her moment of victory.
She almost gave up after being seriously injured at the age of 18, but was encouraged to keep going by her coach and husband, Robert Bobby George. She currently manages an academy in Bengaluru where she develops young athletes, particularly girls. “Any Indian girl can dream and succeed; we just need help,” she said. “If I could do it in 2003, so can these young girls.”
Karmakar, a shooter who narrowly lost out on an Olympic medal in 2012, talked about his struggle to find a training facility for his academy. After being rejected at first, he went straight to the Sports Minister and received approval. He declared, “I proved them wrong, but I didn’t win a medal.” Karmakar, who now serves as a national coach and mentor, has his own academy where he trains young shooters, including his son, who has already taken home medals from international competitions.
At the age of nine, archer Dola, one of India’s first female archers, started practicing at the Baranagar Archery Club. Since archery was practically unknown in the 1990s, people assumed she was traveling for cultural events. Her father supported her wholeheartedly and made sure she balanced her studies and athletics. She chuckled, “People compared archery to the Ramayana when we told them about it.” She witnessed archery evolve over time into a competitive international sport where India is now a dominant force.
Dola now owns her own academy where she instructs young archers and promotes a more robust athletic culture. “We criticize the number of Olympic medals we have won, but we don’t encourage our kids to play,” she said. “That needs to change.” Emphasis was also placed on the fact that upcoming athletes have to manage the mental pressure and give their best to bring home a long-awaited medal in archery.
Mehtab, a football player and Mohun Bagan veteran, talked about reform and resiliency. Many believed his career was over after he suffered a serious ligament injury in 2006, but he bounced back stronger the following year. “Never give up is the mindset of a sportsperson,” he said. Mehtab, who currently coaches young athletes, emphasised that although India has talent, there is still a lack of structure and belief. “Players from low-income families require assistance and opportunities,” he said. “We need to have big dreams.”
All four athletes now run their own academies where they help aspiring athletes get past comparable challenges. Their tales demonstrate the perseverance, leadership and faith in the next generation that is required to create a true sporting culture. Events such as the JBG Kolkata Marathon serve to reinforce this. They remind spectators that they are the stars by bringing them together.