Himanshu ShekharAs I am writing this article, the aftermath of Beijing Games can be pleasantly felt in India as well. Abhinav ‘India’ Bindra cured India’s 80 year old ‘Gold fever’ in Olympics’ individual medal category. Two more Bronze medals came India’s way from remotely known quarters.
Beijing by far was ‘our best ever Olympics.’ India, before Beijing, had won only four medals since 1896, apart from Hockey. Beijing was ‘our best’ not just because we returned with three medals in kitty, but there were many who made us believe that the future beckons more. Saina Nehwal, Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, Paes- Bhupathi and Bajrang Lakra were just one step away from the podium.
It was indeed our best effort ever. So we are euphoric and we have reasons to be. But will mere elation do?
Kunal Pradhan, sports editor of India’s leading English newspaper asks, “Will those who are screaming about India’s awakening at Olympics, linking the improvement on the medals table as a sign of country’s rising status in the world, look behind the success stories to realize that Indian sports is not in safe hands?”
Troubling questions:
What if Sushil had proper medical facilities and boxers had laptops and access of latest videos to assess their opponent’s move? Sushil’s manager Satpal Singh had to double up as a masseur. IOA were not able to take one along. Or take for example Sharath Kamal, who travelled not with his coach but with a member of the Indian Table Tennis Federation.
Muhammad Ali once famously said, “Medals are not won in Olympic rings but in your practice session much away from spotlight and flashing cameras.”
AB’s Gold (read Abhinav Bindra) was hence won in a ‘locked shooting range,’ boxing bronze far away from Beijing under a tin shade in sleepy ‘Bhiwani’ - India’s little Cuba.
Anyways, these young heroes of real life have made us believe that we Indians can also win at the biggest stage. That single AB’s Gold has made us ask, “How many more in London 2012?”
It’s a challenge of a different sort.
Challenges- aheadThe biggest challenge ahead is to better Beijing’s gain in London. How to build on the Beijing momentum? Beneath the optimism one fears, will we again sit at our past laurels and lose focus of the real vision? What happens once the OB vans parked in Bhiwani return?
Kunal Pradhan pleads, “Don’t just turn off the lights when the music is over.” Are we in media also listening?
Probably, Indian sport is just on the corner from where a big push can steam roll it to the arduous road to glory.
Change we can believe in!It is time to take a leaf out the US Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s book. ‘Hope and Change’ is the theme with what he promises to ‘fix Washington.’ If only Indian Olympics Committee and various sports bodies borrow that theme, make no mistake that Sports in India will change for the better.
Bindra’s Gold should jolt the nation out of old mindsets and instil big dreams in us so that the nation rises above this sporting mediocrity. It’s the change we have to believe in. The old cobwebs in the belly of the sleeping storm must be swept away with the thunderous spark of a tremendously talented nation.
Accountability – the Beijing way.USD 43 billion were spent in China exclusively on the infrastructure and a whopping USD 586 million on the athletes. Yet there is no single report of fund misappropriation. Anyone can take a look at the accounts and the expenditure incurred. That’s what accountability means in People’s Republic of China.
After cross checking if any such account of income, grant received or expenditure incurred is maintained by any association be it ITA, IWF, Boxing, Gymnastics or Athletics or Indian Olympic Committee one finds none.
It will be in the nation’s interest if we introduce some transparency to know who stopped Monika Devi from traveling to Beijing. May be someone has denied India an opportunity to stand and sing the national anthem at an Olympics podium.
Choosing the Olympics Culture?China and United States were two most dominating countries at the Olympics. Friedman refers it, “One Olympics two systems”- as he writes. “How So. You can’t look at the Chinese team and not see the strength that comes from diversity, and you can’t look at the Chinese and not see the strength that comes from intense focus and concentrated power.”
India also can’t blindly imitate the US or China model. China didn’t prepare itself in just the last four years. They embarked on a long journey, usurping Asian powers like Japan and European powers like Romania, Germany or France in run up to Beijing Games. United States, on the other hand, has diverse pluralistic fundamentals equipped with world’s best practice and training facilities.
US Olympics contingent had 33 foreign born athletes covering the globe. India to start with has to make its own ‘term-plan’ instead of embarking on a long journey.
Hoy- ModelBritish Cyclist Chris Hoy returned from Beijing with 3 Golds. Twelve years ago, his country returned with just one from Atlanta. Hoy’s success story is unique because it answers a lot of India’s questions. Just like cash strapped Indian sports, British Cycling Association faced similar problems. Hoy had to return his track suit to the federation in 1996, after returning from Moscow EU under-23 Championship.
Today Hoy stands proudly as Britain’s one of the greatest Olympian ever. British Cycling Federation returned home with 7 Golds out of 10.
England worked on an investment return theory that straight away meant accountability. The theory simply was, “Total Beijing Olympics investment- 75 million pound. Predicted return- 35 medals.” Britain easily bettered the presumed target.
Several sports administrators were forced to quit prior to it. Sporting bodies were made to appoint Performance Directors; each given certain targets and all the required facilities to meet the target.
Special Sporting Zone If we can have an SEZ for promoting and harbouring economic growth why not a Special Sporting Zone to tap, nurture and produce the country’s finest sporting talents?
Each sporting zone with a Director of Performance will help segment sports by region. Bhiwani can thus be made into a Special Boxing Zone with world class facilities, finest coaches and complete state funding to those aspiring boxers who get selected from around the country. Let the government make purchase of Boxing gloves and punching bags tax free.
The selected athletes must be promised a full-time salary so that they have financial security when they give their sweat and blood to the sport. Ask the private enterprise to come in and offer sponsorships.
On similar lines, Chotanagpur Plateau can be made into an archery hub, those who still play and grow up with bow and arrow must be turned into Olympic Champions. As a colleague of mine asks, “Why can’t Sports be an answer to ‘Naxalism’?
For full coverage on BEIJING OLYMPICS, Click Here »