A 99 member squad is to represent India in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (8th to 24th August 2008). Saying “represent India” is playing a bit fast and loose with the word itself, unless by “represent” I mean “the number of Indians definite to land at the Beijing airport”. The figure 99 consists of 57 athletes and 42 officials including Sania Mirza’s mom !!!!. [See the List of the 2008 Olympians from India at the end of this post].
Many questions pop up in my mind as soon as I see the squad composition. Why does India need 42 officials to manage 57 athletes? Is the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) afraid that the athletes will not be able to find their way around China without the officials assistance? Or are these officials going to dress up as cheerleaders (like the IPL ones) and dance every time the Indian shooter takes aim or a weightlifter prepares himself for each round? I am sure that that would be a sight to behold and a huge motivation for the Indian shooters and lifters :). Also why stop at the figure of 99? Why not 100? The figure 99 reminds me of a clothing store where everything ends with 99 (Rs. 199, Rs 599, Rs 999). Is that, then, the ulterior motive of these officials - Shopping in Beijing ? Their personal tour from our tax money.
A total of 28 sports! 302 events! And India is sending a contingent of just 57 (USA is sending 596, China has 639 and even tiny Estonia sends 47). A look at the Indian contingent and their chances, reinforces the age old, sad story about Indian Sports, the most prominent this time being the absence of India’s national sport - Hockey. For the first time in nearly 8 decades, the Indian Hockey Team, which has done the nation proud (with 8 Gold medals), failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. What is the cause of this dismal state of Indian Sports? We are the world’s biggest democracy, the second most populous country in the world. Then why is that in a span of 4 years, we are only able to produce 57 top athletes? ‘Outlook’ in their latest issue carried an article covering the top athletes favored to win medals at the Beijing Olympics! Not one of them was Indian! This is a matter of national shame, an aspect that the Indian Govt needs to look at closely. It is not enough to be a nuclear power, it is not enough to be an IT offshore house. To be a real super power needs more than that, to be a real super power means giving the citizens every reason to be proud of their country. I also read about Iraq’s ban from this years Olympics and their subsequent approval to compete. Dana Hussain, a Iraqi female athlete has qualified for the 100 and 200 meter sprints. The whole world’s press has praised her commitment even though Iraq is in a grip of civil war. The world’s press has not even noticed or commented at Indian Olympians this year. Deservedly so.
The Govt. should step up and do its bit to promote other sports and encourage the sportsman. Indians for example have done remarkably well in shooting; but it being an expensive sport, needs financial support from the Govt. While the Indian T20 champion team got cash rewards to the tune of lakhs, shooters like Gagan Narang (Indian Olympic Squad member) had to request the Govt. for a 40 lakhs rupees grant, which was also not to be given in entirety. Thankfully, a number of Pvt. Organizations, such as Gold Quest and others have stepped in to help out this Olympic Medal hopeful. Also incidents such as the ones where the Boxers (Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar and Vijender) were handed empty envelopes at the felicitation ceremony does nothing to boost the morale of these sportsmen. Also reward money to the tune of juts Rs.25,000 is not very uplifting and although it is “better than nothing” it is still a paltry sum. Billiards and snooker champion Pankaj Advani’s resentment, Asia Cup hockey champions India getting virtually nothing for their win are more stories that illustrate the pathetic state of non-cricket sports.
Media too plays an important role in undermining the role of other sports. Crickets are seen endorsing every sort of products from hair gel to clothing brands to bikes and cars (thankfully they are not yet posing for Whisper Ads!). But do we see any other athletes in any Ads? Do we see Anju Booby George endorsing anything, do we see Sania Mirza in the Ads as much as the cricketers? An iconic figure like Vishwanathan Anand has just NIIT and recently AMD as sponsors. Why would anyone then dedicate an entire lifetime to national pride only to be shunned by the same nation?
The worst culprits are Indians who believe that all other sports are secondary to that one sport which is played only by a handful of the world’s countries. All we care for as a nation is cricket. On a day when India wins we are all ga ga over the damned cricketers, calling them heroes, rewarding them in every possible way. The next day when India loses a match, we question the same cricketers, curse them, ask for their removal. In this continuous circle of live and hatred all other sports lose out. I am sure most Indians would remember that Indian won the T20 but cannot even recollect how many medals Indian won at the 2004 Olympics or who won them ( 1 silver in Shooting by Lt. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore). All the efforts of these valiant athletes who overcome all sorts of odds (inferior training facilities, lack of funds, no support from the Govt.) are buried under the lack of interest of an entire nation interested only in cricket. While a series win against Bangladesh is splashed all over in huge letters in all papers, a World Championship in any other sports merit just half a page. Players like Leander Paes, Sania Mirza find more print space because of their T shirts, controversies basically everything else other than the sports itself.
It is heartening, however, to see the efforts of certain Organizations in promoting these neglected sports in India. BCCI has already promised financial aid to the Indian Olympic contingent. ONGC has also been helping players with funds and facilities. Other noteworthy organizations are Gold Quest and also Individuals such as DSP Merryl Lynch Vice Chairman Shitin Desai, co-founder of Sify Ltd R. Ramaraj and Rakesh Khanna. Certain states too are encouraging players by rewarding them with cash. (TN announced rewards for both Sharath Kamal and Vishy) but more needs to be done. I as a person,who is not interested in cricket am left to find my allegiance with players of other countries for sports such as football or tennis. I am not proud of India for its cricketing talent or lack of it and I hence I am left with barely any other sport to be proud of. That’s why when it is Olympics time, I am excited about the prospect of Indian Sports. Even though we are sending only 57 athletes, whether we win gold or not I am immensely proud of them. The fact that they have risen above a nation which does not care much for them speaks volume of their dedication. I wish each and every one of them, the very best for their Olympic attempts.
To hear India’s National Anthem being played while the tricolor unfurls on Chinese soil would be the sweetest of all glory every Indian wishes for.
