PM Modi wants India to bid for the 2024 Olympics. Upon hearing this, I slid into a reverie, day dreaming. A la Martin Luther King, I had a dream, that I am watching the announcement at the headquarters of IOC " The Host for Summer Olympics goes to...NEW DELHI". The whole nation celebrates under firecracker lit night sky. Alas, I was abruptly interrupted, as reality struck in, that it's not going to happen in 2024 or anytime soon. I am destined to die with this unfulfilled dream and haunt everybody as a BRAHMA RAKHYASA ( Per legend in Odisa, if a Brahmin dies with unfulfilled desires , he is cursed to roam as a burly, demonic champion of ghosts, feared as BRAHMA RAKHYASA. He supposedly lives on a huge Banyan tree, bossing over others in the neighborhood).
Sorry, PM Modi. It's okay to sell a dream, most politicians do it. But don't sell a mirage. No way we deserve to host it, not as early as 2024. Before you jump into such grandiose ambition, it's time to do some introspection. Do we have the requisite sporting infrastructure, ability to market and convince IOC to tilt the decision in our favor over a bevy of well endowed global suiters ? It seems we have taken the motto set by Baron De Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics ", i.e., Participation is more important than winning medals", a little too seriously. Don't chase a mirage and expect any Bollywood style magic here, for watching too many movies give us an undue expectation of some last minute miracles.
The continents of Europe and North America, used to predominantly host this prestigious sporting event not so long ago. But it gonna be third time in 12 years, Olympics will be held outside these continents. It also tells something, the arrival of many nations on the world stage, especially in sports and economic arena. Brazil is going to be the host next year, followed by Japan in 2020, 2nd time in their history. China and South Korea, the other two Asian giants have already passed the test as successful hosts. Some say we have missed the boat. But that would be a gross understatement. We were never a serious contenders by any standard, being far from hosting Olympics anytime soon.
Indian Sports management should take a note that the minnows North Korea manage to win more gold medals than us. It is a nation where the overwhelming majority lives in abject poverty and suffer from acute malnutrition. An average Indian eats better and lives better than an average North Korean. Yet they train better and though hungry, have much more hunger for winning medals. (Their performance on sporting arena is no fluke, shouldn't be pooh-poohed to 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 we are no 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 all the Netas out of our sports bodies. They, along with their crooked cronies, have done enough (harm) for our sports, nothing more is left to do. Sportsmanship is just not their forte, certainly not in this age of competitive and professional sports.
Secondly, create world class sports infrastructure and develop sports at the grass root level. China sowed such seeds in 70s and now reaping its benefits. If we sow it today we, we could reap around 2040.
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. If we can do a successful Mars mission, why can't we do this?
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