Southern Spice – Sports Entertainment

It’s been about a month since the Beijing Games ended and no, we have not forgotten that this was the best ever Olympics for India. And yes we still remember the three young men who brought home, amidst scenes of great jubilation, three medals – one gold and two bronze. Suddenly in this cricket obsessed nation people started taking an interest in shooting, boxing and wrestling and wanted to know more about Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh. Suddenly for a change the spotlight was on them and not cricketers. Suddenly corporate houses and state governments were distributing crores of rupees in awards to a trio who were not even remotely associated with cricket.

Unfortunately in this country only one sport really matters, and my view is that once the cricket season gets into full swing and the India-Australia Test series commences, discussion on the Beijing Olympics and the three medalists will just about evaporate. Public memory is short when it comes to other sports. We all went through the same experience after Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. When Karnam Malleswari created history by becoming the first woman athlete to win a medal at the Olympics she was feted about and for a time was the toast of the nation.

The weightlifter is hardly talked about these days. Four years later when Rajavardhan Singh Rathore became the first Indian to win an individual silver medal in the Olympics he became a much sought after persona – for a while. However upbeat one tries to be, however much one hopes that things will turn around for the better in other sports as far as a wider acceptance for them is concerned, I am afraid things will not change. Soon the names of the three medalists at Beijing will figure less and less in discussions in bars and restaurants, offices and homes.
Things were a little different concerning Leander Paes when he won the bronze medal in tennis at Atlanta in 1996. For one thing he was already well known as a sportsman who had notched up a few achievements. And secondly tennis is one of the better known sports in the country. Next to cricket there is a strong base for tennis in this country. India tennis has some great achievements against its name and the sport enjoys a considerable following.

Much the same can be said about chess and billiards where India has produced world champions. What Viswanathan Anand has done for chess cannot be overemphasized and much the same can be said about Wilson Jones and Michael Ferreira, Geet Sethi and Pankaj Advani. Badminton is coming into his own after being out of the news, thanks to the exploits of Saina Nehwal though it sporadically made headlines through the achievements of Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand.
But in a vast number of sports the athletes are struggling for recognition though in some Indians have performed exceedingly well at the international level. That is why it is so refreshing to see shooters, wrestlers and boxers in the spotlight for a change. One only hopes that their success could rub off on other Olympic disciplines such as track and field, gymnastics, aquatics, fencing, rowing, basketball, volleyball and so on.

No, this is not a pipe dream and there is no reason why it should only remain a dream. But Indian sport needs a thorough overhaul before it can aspire for great achievements on the international stage. A massive sports movement should be initiated and the approach must be absolutely professional. The best possible coaches should be trained and appointed and they should instill self-efficacy, confidence, perseverance and an indomitable will to succeed in our players. India should learn to invest in individuals rather than in the event.

Perhaps the best ever showing by India at an Olympics is a good time to start the process of cultivating a buoyant sports culture. It will be time consuming, it will involve years of hard work and heartbreaks, sweat and sacrifice by all those associated with the respective sport, it will involve dynamism and innovative ideas and it will not be achieved overnight. But let the process begin, let us be inspired by the feats of three young Indians at Beijing and initiate long term programmes and not opt for short term goals.

We must have the self-belief that it can be done. An invigorating sports ambience should be created in which young men and women should love to run and pedal, swim and row. Yes, India too can become a sport superpower if the will and intensity is there. Nothing is impossible and that’s what we have to believe in with almost religious fervour. Everyone should counter the cynics by asking the question – if China can do it, why can’t India? source:sify.com