Posted on August 20, 2008 - by rdilipk1

The thirst for a medal

How difficult is it for a nation of 1.13 billion people to produce a few good sportsmen who can bring home some medals? As we ponder over this question, we also appreciate the 3 medalists for India at the Olympics.’, ‘India finally managed to get a couple of medals at the Olympics. Three sons of the nation saved our face from yet another humiliation. A couple of days back there was an entire nation praying for the success of three boxers who managed to sneek into the quarter-finals of their respective category. All of a sudden there was so much hype with television channels interviewing their parents and friends and celebrations all around as if we had won the Gold medal. Two days into all this unnecessary hype, which I am sure would have made these poor players all the more nervous, 2 of them lost in their quarter-final bouts and the 3rd one finally managed to get into the semi-finals. Now the entire nation is happy again and content with even a bronze.
This has been the story for almost the past 50-60 odd years for India and this nation with a population of 1.13 billion, boasting that they are the 2nd most populous country in the world has not produced a single Gold medal in any of the Olympics.

Why is it that we are content with the only Gold medal from Abhinav, when countries that are almost 1/10th of India with a population almost 1/25th get more than 5-6 gold medals in these games?

We have learnt to be content with everything – bad roads, corrupt politicians, corrupt officers, poor educational systems, lack of jobs etc etc. We have now resented to our fates and believe that this is the best that we can get. But the question to be asked is – Is it that we cannot produce good sportsmen?

Sushil Kumar comes from a small family in Delhi and his father was a labourer. His life would but obviously have been full of adversities. Then how did he manage to reach the Olympics. Keeping aside all other things, I can say that it is the sheer determination from the young lad combined with the support from his parents. I would here ask a question to myself. When we complain that it is our politicians who is responsible for this pathetic state of our sports, then how did this poor family manage to get their son on the flight to Beijing.

The answer is quite obvious. Politicians would influence team selections and might be corrupt. But an entire contingent of sportsmen going to the Olympics is not a decision of these corrupt politicians. Let their poor selections loose in the games. But if the rest of the contingent has the determination to win and not just participate in the games, there is nobody who can stop us. If we do not have faclities for the latest sports, let”s utilize whatever we have and work on sports that does not require such advanced facilities. If an Usain Bolt from Jamaica can do it we in India can find and develop many more Sushils, Abhinavs and Vijenders.

Finally, once again saluting these heroes of India who have taken the first step in making us realize that “we can do it”.