From London to Rio - The Indian angle!

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work, and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.”

These words of Anton Ego,the character in the Academy award winning animated movie ‘Ratatouille’ truly have an inner depth. These words reflect the minds of each and every one in this world. Anyone can be a critic irrespective of who they are, from the CEO of an MNC to the waiter in a hotel; perhaps a better example would be you and me.

A big stage like the Olympics provides the ideal platform to showcase our skills in assessing others’ mistakes, especially those of our fellow countrymen. Going to the Olympics with a small contingent never keeps us away from dreaming of a rich haul. Even if we know that an athlete has the least chance going into the competition, we, at times, do make a statement about why such an athlete should participate, but only a few would realise that he/she is one among the few who qualified outright for a shot at the podium finish by defying all odds. But a disappointing show from a top class athlete always hurts the entire nation, and provides the best platform for a critic to blast at full flow. The 30th Olympics has been the most successful Olympics till date for us. London 2012 witnessed some epic battles; some athletes had their dreams come true and had the final laugh while some faltered at decisive moments, and had to shed tears on the grandest stage. What we see is a just a physical battle, but for those fighting it out there, it is more than just a battle. It takes years of hard work and strain to reach that stage and their dream doesn’t become a reality through any hocus pocus, but only through sheer determination and hard work.

Abhinav Bindra,Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh. These three guys provided a wake up call for those who have strived and dreamed of an Olympic medal after their unexpected triumph at the 29th games. Their success paved way for the others to strive for fulfilling their ultimate dream, a fruitful reality. These three names were unheard of in our nation, but they shot to fame overnight. That’s what the Olympics does to you, you will be the new face of sports in a fortnight, especially in our nation.

Fast forward to London 2012.. After the Beijing heroics, we were on cloud nine, and we all hoped for nothing less than ten medals. But, unfortunately, the London dreams ended with six medals for our nation, two silvers and four bronzes. Sad, since ‘Jana gana mana’ never echoed in London, but happy since we got twice the number of medals that we got in Beijing. Now that’s something to be cheerful about. But these heroes will soon be forgotten. You know the reason, because in India, Sachin is our God and Cricket is our religion; no one ever realise the greatness of the chess wizard, Vishwanathan Anand. It’s not because they haven’t got any time to check on other sports, it’s simply their negligence. Many do have time to keep a check on what’s happening in the Premier League, and only a handful of people take efforts to notice what’s happening in the other areas as well. Did any wild parade take place on the streets of any Indian city after the heroics of our nation’s “sweethearts” in London? But we could expect one if M.S.Dhoni’s men emerge victorious in the T-20 world cup to be held in Sri Lanka next month. And if they don’t, expect chaos in the streets similar to those that happened in 2006. Don’t think that I hate cricket; it’s just that I’m annoyed by the fact that cricket always get the top billing in our nation.

Olympic Gold Quest has been a successful venture so far. Mary Kom, Vijay Kumar, Saina Nehwal, and Gagan Narang were supported by them, and they did produce awesome results. Many other initiatives do need to pop up so that in Rio, we could again double the medal tally, and notch up atleast 12. Many young athletes came up with spirited performances, and there is room for improvement. With the likes of K.T.Irfan, Tintu Luka, Geeta Phogat, Devendro Singh, Vishnu Vardhan, etc., the future looks bright for us. May be better coaching facilities, and less interference of cynical administrators who head the sporting bodies will do good for these athletes. The sports minister, Ajay Maken, should take full responsibility for these initiatives, and they need backing from our sporting legends. These programs need to start from root levels; find talented kids by assessing their performance in the youth meets, get them geared up by the experts of the game, and provide international exposure to them. Four years of rigorous training, and success at the grandest stage means he/she could live the rest of their life as a Champion.

Will the London heroics soon be confined to an untouched chapter in Indian sporting history? No,it shouldn’t! We need to avoid that to build a bright future to make Rio 2016 the most decorated chapter of Indian sporting legacy, and Inspire a Generation.