Winter has given way to Spring. Before we bat our eyelids, summer will be knocking our doors. This year is unique, a leap year and the year of the Olympics. Sports lovers all across the globe will be looking forward to what is arguably the greatest Sporting event on earth in Rio, Brazil.
The country known famously for Samba and Soccer and the city known for jamboree, are getting ready to host this Mega event, as thousands of athletes from all over the world, including India will congregate for "Citius, Altius, Fortius" at the Olympics village.
As expected, the prospects India doesn't look very bright. An odd gold medal and at best 10 medals in total for a nation of 1.25 billions and amongst top 10 nations in GDP is far from a matter of pride.
It seems we have taken the motto set by Baron De Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics - "Participation is more important than winning medals", a little too seriously. So don't chase a mirage and expect any Bollywood style magic, with some undue expectation of last minute miracles, when a medal in this age of competitive sports, needs months and years of preparation, at world class level.
It seems we have taken the motto set by Baron De Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics - "Participation is more important than winning medals", a little too seriously. So don't chase a mirage and expect any Bollywood style magic, with some undue expectation of last minute miracles, when a medal in this age of competitive sports, needs months and years of preparation, at world class level.
If history is an indication, our past performance augurs anything but hope. The first medal we won outside Hockey was a bronze by Wrestler K.D. Yadav in 1952, followed by the next in Tennis after 44 years in 1996, again a bronze medal.
In Hockey the last time we won a medal was in the depleted 1980 Moscow Olympics, thanks to the overwhelming favorites Australia, West Germany, Pakistan and Netherland being part of the US led boycott. Milkha Singh in 1960 and P T Usha in 1984 missed the bronze by a whisker, though I give more credit to Milkha as the 1984 Olympics was boycotted by the Soviet Block.
Post Y2K (year 2000), we had our odd successes, winning our first ever Gold and Silver medals beyond hockey in shooting. Came trickling in a few bronzes in the form of Wrestling and Boxing, thanks to our state of Haryana. But that's it, hardly any justice to a nation of our size and stature.
Indian Sports management should take notice about the minnows North Korea who manage to win more gold medals than us - a nation where the overwhelming majority of the population live in abject poverty and suffer from chronic malnutrition. An average Indian eats better and lives better than an average North Korean. Yet they train better and with hungry stomach have have much more appetite for winning medals. (Their performance on sporting arena is no fluke, shouldn't be pooh-poohed as the effect of performance enhancing drugs and threats of being sent to Gulag).
On the other hand there is simply no excuse to our performance, or rather lack of it, vindicating us as hardly a sporting nation in spite of our 1.25 teeming billion. Our sports system needs a complete revamp, before it can yield some concrete results. Here are a few simple suggestions.
First of all, kick the Netas and their crooked, crony officials out from our sports governing bodies. They already have done irreparable damage, as if 70 years of wastage is not long enough. Sportsmanship is simply not their forte, not in this age of competitive sports, especially to be left alone in the hands of those not known for professionalism.
Secondly, create world class sports infrastructure and develop sports at the grass root level. China sowed such seeds in 70s and now reaping the benefits. If we sow it today, down the road we could see some tangible outcome.
Third, look beyond cricket. Popularize soccer, hockey, swimming, track and field and so on. Like crop rotation does wonders to fertility and different mental activities for mind, multiple sports helps us to be more sportive. All these are no rocket science. Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand do well in Olympics, apart from playing cricket.
With that said, if and when this happens, my generation may not be there to see that day. With unaccomlished dream, I am destined to be a haunted BRAHMA RAKHYASA, hunting for its victims ( Per legend in Odisa, if a Brahmin dies with
unfulfilled desires, he is cursed to roam as a burly, demonic champion of Ghosts and Ghouls, feared as BRAHMA RAKHYASA among others. He supposedly lives on a huge Banyan tree on the outskirts, bossing over the neighborhood. Such a fate awaits me).
unfulfilled desires, he is cursed to roam as a burly, demonic champion of Ghosts and Ghouls, feared as BRAHMA RAKHYASA among others. He supposedly lives on a huge Banyan tree on the outskirts, bossing over the neighborhood. Such a fate awaits me).
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