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The above tweet by India’s top badminton player has created quite a stir over the past few days, be it in social media, the newspaper, or the television. Here, I present my view on this issue.
How did it all start?
You could say that it was initiated by Saina’s almost namesake Sania, for no fault of her own. She isn’t given the respect she deserves. The high achiever she is, being labelled Pakistan’s daughter-in-law, and her suitability being questioned, she was understandably upset. True that her level of contribution to the Telangana cause is questionable, but can she be questioned about a title she didn’t ask for?
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Sania hit back by tracing her Hyderabadi roots up to 3 generations, after asking those discussing her, to look at larger issues first. That was the end of it, or so we thought.
Saina asks for her cash award
It was all in good spirit, until one word changed the mood – but.
No one likes to be the wrong end of broken promises, and Saina’s frustration had reached the cliff. Injury meant she was forced to pull out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and probably, that frustrated her even further.
Are her comments justified? Certainly. Following her Olympic bronze medal, she was promised a cash award of 50 lakh rupees by the Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra. Suppose it was a cricketer in her place, you’d know how long the award would have taken to reach him. She is yet to receive hers.
But was the timing right? With the Indian contingent participating in the Commonwealth Games, this was a distraction that was hardly called for. Surely, she could have timed her statement better, or even worded it differently? She had an option. Saina could have just congratulated Sania and left it there. What was the need to link Sania and her own award at the same time? She could have even raised the issue after the Games were done. Sitting silent for two years now, she could have held on for a few more days.
Saina’s disappointment is justified, but her timing has left me disappointed.
What about those participating in Glasgow right now?
At the time of writing, India had won 7 gold, 15 silver, and 9 bronze medals. For most of the participants, the CWG is probably the next big thing after the Olympics. India won a total 101 medals at the CWG in 2010, yet why do we remember it for? You know the answer. We are yet to get anywhere near that total this time, let alone beat it.
Consider the case of Ganesh Mali, who won a bronze medal in weightlifting. Hailing from a financially poor background (his father is a daily wage worker), he has defied all odds. Santoshi Matsa’s case is a similar one – she won a silver medal in 25m pistol category. Aren’t these sportspersons deserving of a monetary benefit as well? Perhaps, much more in need than Saina?
Seeing the treatment of a famous Olympic medal winner, seeing her pour out her frustration in public, what would these players expect in recognition for their exploits? Some days’ fame in the media is all they get. Honestly, a year from now, if someone were to ask you, would you remember all their names?
Looking at the future
In an age where cricketers get to endorse shampoos, cosmetics, banking schemes and get spotted with celebrities every now and then, where does an Olympian stand? What is the ATP ranking of our best tennis player? What is our FIFA ranking? Name one WTA player other than Sania Mirza. With a population of 1.2 billion, how many gold medals do we win in the Olympics?
Saina’s situation highlights everything that we think is wrong in our system, right from spotting of talent, to the level of support. Now that she has raised the issue, it’s time for others whose promises have also been broken by officialdom so far, to come forward and claim their prize as well. A collective force would definitely be more effective than a single voice.
Saina’s claim needs to be taken seriously by everyone concerned. During the time of elections, better things were promised for non-cricket sportspersons, and if Saina does not receive her award soon, some political pressure could be needed. As a nation, if we are truly concerned about putting India firmly on the map of world sport, this is the opportunity.
We must support Saina, and make sure she gets her award. Be it through politics, or open campaign.
Saina has had her say. She’s hit her shot with a good amount of force, but had she waited till the end of the games, it would have been a well-timed one. Brutal nonetheless.
