Let the games begin.....

Hi Friends my first ever blog...finally...have been thinking of writing one for a long time but somehow never happened..i know its valentines day, but no its not about my love or my girlfriend(dont have one :( ) but yeah its about something that i love a lot, my country and sports. 

Let the games begin.....

Following the 27^th edition of the Olympic Games held in Beijing last year, there is a new found enthusiasm among the sporting fraternity in the country as well as enthusiasts. The world’s second most populous nation may be emerging as an economic superpower but has for long been a sporting bummer. When Abhinav Bindra climbed the top podium, a billion people’s heart swelled in pride even as they fervently hoped it was just the beginning of a new era in Indian sports. For the first time since 1952 has India won more than a single medal at the games. What’s more India has won a whole three - count 'em, three – medals this Olympics.

                India lacks a sophisticated sporting culture. The prevalent culture, albeit archaic needs to be nurtured and how do we do it? One way is to celebrate all our sporting successes, few as they may be. They could trigger a new fervour across the country and change peoples outlook towards sports other than Cricket. For cricket itself has reached the heights it has today due to the money pumped in through media by ways of branding & advertising the sport. Successes such as these have the potential to inspire an entire generation of budding sportsmen to take up sports seriously and become competitors at the world stage. Soon you may see schools being equipped with shooting ranges, boxing rings and even akharas. The government could definitely do its bit by not just rewarding these champions suitably but also take care of their sporting needs in the future. Definitely the way forward.

                The country is reeling in the glory of the 3 magnificent men who have brought medals home and would do so for some time to come. One could argue that all the hoopla and the frenzied  celebrations around the country’s performance is  uncalled for and is a little over the top. After all,although the athletes in question have performed admirably but India, a country of over a billion people, has only three medals this Olympics, which is less than half what a Michael Phelps managed. Also one would feel that the athletes who have braved the bureaucracy and the lack of support they have received the sporting machinery to bring laurels to the nation will remain in the public eye only for a short time. They will soon be lost in oblivion once the honeymoon period is over as have so many of their compatriots in the past. But at this stage whatever money the media could help bring would sure be as treated as gold dust. Shooting, boxing and wrestling could certainly do with a bit of public interest and funds. Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Kumar may provide the push factor that these sports desperately need to reach the next level of excellence and mass participation. The media is only helping these stars reach out to the public. Just as a Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis or a Ben Johnson inspired a whole league of African American athletes on show today, the Abhinav Bindras and the Vijender Kumars too can replicate that in a sporting-success starved India. In any case, they are national heroes and need to be treated as such, for they are so rare. Each country has its way of treating heroes. We, Indians, are a festive people. We wait for an occasion to celebrate. If that seems over-the-top to some people, so be it. We are like this only! Hype in India is not restricted merely to achievements in sports. We love to exaggerate as is exemplified in Bollywood.

 So’ let's get some perspective. It's great that Bindra, Sushil and Vijender have managed to win medals in Beijing. But we do have a long way to go. Resting on their laurels and just feeling good about them wont take us anywhere. Lets create an environment that nurtures the Bindras, the Paes’, the Rathores of the country. Let the games begin and let us all play to win!!! 

Just thought would share some trivia with you guys as well.

At the 1932 Amsterdam Olympics, the gold medal winning Indian team scored a whopping 35 goals in 2 matches in the edition including a 24-1 walloping of the United States of America. Hockey’s undisputed king Dhyan Chand and his brother Roop Singh scored 25 of the 35 goals scored by India. In all the duo led India to 3 Olympic hockey golds. Such was Dhyan Chand’s mastery over the game that Residents of Vienna, Austria honoured him by setting up a statue of him with four hands and four sticks, depicting his control and overall prowess in the sport. During a 1935 tour of New Zealand and Australia, he scored 201 goals out of the team's tally of 584 in 43 matches. Sir Don Bradman, the greatest cricketer that ever lived and his hockey playing counterpart Dhyan Chand once came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian hockey team was in Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand in action, Sir Don remarked "He scores goals like runs in cricket". However like many non cricketing sportsmen, Dhyan Chand too didn’t see much comfort post retirement. In 1978 when Dhyan Chand was diagnosed with Liver Cancer, and came to Delhi's AIIMS, they sent him to the general ward where he was treated for 3 days. A journalist's article eventually got him moved to a special room. He succumbed to his aliment shortly thereafter dying penniless, receiving a meagre pension. It made it hard to forget the first few words of his autobiography 'Goal': "You are doubtless aware that I am a common man."