Staff Writer – Archi
London brought India closer to Jamaica. And the man responsible for this is none other than Usain Bolt. The Jamaican athlete’s great three gold medal winning performances in London Olympic Games came at quite unsociable hours in India, but still millions of Indians stayed awake glued to their television sets to be part of an historic event.
Even all the media houses kept their shops open and stopped press to include the results for next day’s editions as Bolt ran his 100m final at 2.20am and the 200 and 4X100m relay final at 1.30 am Indian Standard Time.
It was quite unusual to find lights were on at most Indian homes on those days for an event which did not feature an Indian name for the last so many decades. That shows the charm of Bolt.
All athletes carry with them their nation’s hope, but perhaps Bolt was the only athlete who was carrying the hopes of the entire world. Apart from his path-breaking craft, something that first draws all to him, there is a strange humanity to the man that perhaps makes all want him to win always.
It was no different in India too. All the newspapers in India carried Bolt’s exploits along with huge photographs of the great as the lead story of the day.
Photo courtesy ibtimes.com
For Indians, who were so long being used to the names of West Indian cricketers only, Bolt is the latest entry from the Caribbean Islands to their wish list. And it will not be a surprise if a survey finds Bolt has already surpassed the West Indian cricketers in the popularity chart among Indian sports lovers after the London Games.
As a matter of fact, not the common man on the street, but even sports persons in India have also taken a liking for the Jamaican hurricane. Even former India skipper Souav Ganguly was amazed by his talent. “Bolt is just amazing,” he said. Little Master Sachin Tendulkar has also reportedly praised Bolt’s amazing performance in his close quarters.
Bolt has hit the Indian audience not only as a sportsperson but also as a phenomenon. More and more people are trying to know more about Bolt and that includes not only his exploits on the track and field but also how he is as a human being. Youngsters loved the way the athlete took things so easily. “He is just so cool,” said a college-going girl. In spite of being the centre of attraction, Bolt has this tremendous ability to handle pressure easily. “He never looks stressed,” remarked an Indian athletic coach. His antics on and off the field have become the talk of the town in India.
With Bolt’s interest in cricket now a known fact, Indians are keen to see him here someday. Like all other countries of the world, India is ready to welcome the Bolt with open arms now.
