Heartbreak in Paris: Disrupt the Present Eco-system


It was heartbreak in Paris, for 1.4 billion people resting their hopes on just a hundred plus athletes. That in itself was most unfair. Imagine, the billion plus hopes resting on the shoulders of just that few! It was a pressure that few could have managed.

But our athletes did, and with fair success, though we were off the mark by a whisker as many times as we won our medals. We could have doubled, had luck been on our side. Getting the 4th position in four other events; when we could have done better in each of them. Our big iconic hope, Neeraj Chopra, after a first big throw, just could not pull himself back. All our hopes in badminton and table tennis were dashed to the ground. It was tough going in hockey, but our players showed grit in holding onto the bronze, largely owing to the heroism of our goalkeeper, who stood like a rock, guarding the goalposts. Not to mention the 100 grams overweight of  Vinesh Phogat, that best exemplifies the heartbreak. Full marks to the few, the hundred plus.

What follows in these pages is NOT to undermine their heroic work. But to look beyond them, to realize what we are really up against.

Nothing less than a total disruption would help us to become the sporting nation that we possibly already maybe, on the cusp, waiting for that spark to ignite the youth, making them world class champions. That we are a crazy cricket playing and loving nation is well known. But you must also witness the impromptu fields, or small patches, that dot every other open space in cities and towns. Witness the ever-enthusiastic moms and dads who take our kinds out to the tennis courts nearby. There is an akhara in every village, some in towns and cities, as well. There is no dearth of desire. What is missing is the down up approach, nurturing talent, making it world class.

What we have presently is a classic case of polishing the top, the cream that has already emerged. It is also about self-promotions, seeking branding for every rupee spent. It is not spending at the grass root level, where it matters most.

‘Disruption’, and nothing of short of it, means a budget of say Rs. 10,000/- crores for the first year. Changing guards at every sports federation, bringing transparency and professionalism, with clear takeaways, setting up a thousand academies, collaborating with world class sporting institutions – it’s a clear change from what we have been doing. No role for any politicians, who have ironically been the mainstays till now, and do so at present as well.

You might smirk at a figure like 10,000 crores in just one year! How much would we spend if we did succeed in our bid to host the Olympics? Are we going to remain this sorry spectacle, inviting the world to come and contest in our country, and witness our own athletes on just a handful of times on the podium. If we are serious about hosting the games, we must be equally serious on first, or simultaneously, drawing up a serious plan to put out a few thousand athletes, in a broad-spectrum activity of games.

Why should we not excel in every game? Swimming, gymnasts, sprinting, apart from table tennis and badminton.

The wish list is common: there should be no repeat of Paris, we want to among the top ten nations in that table in LA, straight and simple.

In the process, as a companion story dwells, in the ideals of the Olympics vision, affirming how “sports is a low cost, high impact tool for social change, fostering inclusivity, promoting physical and mental health, and nurturing essential skills among young people”. How often have we viewed sports from this perspective? So true, so meaningful, and so worthy of giving it our best shot. The reach to the podium may not be that difficult; trust our youth, they are waiting for the big change to happen.

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