Staff Writer – Archi
There seems to be an air of expectation hovering around the 81-member strong Indian contingent which started leaving for the London Olympics in batches over the last few weeks. This will be the largest Indian contingent ever for an Olympic Games which itself proves that more and more athletes of the country are now performing at par with the top international athletes.
At one time, no other country like India seemed to believe in the immortal words of the father of modern Olympics Games Baron de Coubertin, who said “The most important thing in the Olympics Games is not winning but taking part in it.”
Hence at a time when competitors of many countries which needed a magnifying glass to locate on the global map, finished on the podium, India used to return empty-handed. They’re use to some hue and cry in the initial stage and then again it was four years of total neglect and apathy for sports in the country.
The annual Union budget day is like a festival in India with all the print, television and internet following it live throughout the day. There are panels of experts who discuss about fiscal deficit, Foreign Direct Investment, international borrowing et el, but nobody ever talks about annual sports budget on that day. That very well shows the general attitude of the policy makers as well as the people on the road towards sport in the country.
But slowly there is a slight but significant change in this attitude over the last few years with more and more people perhaps realizing that sports can showcase a country’s identity at the world stage and there cannot be a better forum than the Olympics.
Saina Nehwal. Photo courtesy badmintonclip.blogspot.com
Shooter Abhinav Bindra hitting a gold at Beijing Olympics in 2008 also gave the Indians this faith and hope that they can also be the world’s best. The Indian government this time has spent around Rs 250 crore in preparation for this London Games including Rs 20 crore on foreign coaches.
Individuals and organizations like the Sahara India, the Mittal Champions
Trust, Tatas, the Olympic Gold Quest etc have also chipped in with their contributions.
For a change we have sportsmen who are in the top bracket in the world. The country’s hopes this time will be carried by teenager archer Deepika Kumari, who is the reigning World No. 1, and badminton star Saina Nehwal, who is World No. 5 now.
A recent study on correlation between economic growth and performance in the Olympics, have predicted at least five medals for the country this time of which two will be gold. India had never won so many medals in the quadrennial event.
Statistics or fiction, for a change, it seems the country is really capable of achieving that mark with a handful of athletes promising high hopes.
With a huge population of Indians residing in London, the athletes will not be short of support this time also. Thus it’s time to sit on the edge of the seats and hail the Indian participants as national heroes.
Indian archery and wrestling team on arriving in London
