For the last couple of decades, for the nation, the Olympics have been an exercise in despair. A quadrennial quagmire for a billion souls. TV and media regularly drum up the mood into a crescendo, only to end in a whimper, come closing ceremony. Life then quietly gets back to normal - to cricket, that is. Deja vu.
Sindhu and Sakshi have, however, brought new brio to Rio. These girls have managed to avoid the white-wash blushes of the billion. They have salvaged some of the pride that the people like Shobha De had stomped upon.
Talking of Shobe De, shame on her! For her to have come down heavily upon the athletes, smacks of arrogance and frivolity. These athletes have put in more than their best foot forward, under extremely trying circumstances. A case in point - without any help or assistance from the government, Sindhu, now the badminton heroine of India, travelled 56 km one way, every day, to practice, and her coach Gopichand has vouched that she has not been late even on a single day, for practice. This shows the fire in the belly, and the commitment, and above all, that burning urge to do excel, for the sake of herself and for a nation of eternal hopefuls. Many of the athletes have done much more than was expected, given that total lack of any infrastructure in any corner of the country that could have possibily fostered an atmosphere of competitive athletics. If there is anything to be condemned, it is the apathy of the successive governments, the callousness of the sport ministry and sports body officials, and rampant corruption that has been derailing any attempts to improve our lot in the tracks ( and fields). Instead of targeting these maladies, Shobha had chosen to train her guns on the hapless athletes. Totally unbecoming of a senior socialite.
For a nation that goes overboard to produce engineers and doctors, and generally scorns at any attempt to encourage any sports zeal in our sons and daughters, the games will go on. The show will go on. We Indians drown ourselves in movies and cricket, to forget our harsh everyday realities. In such a situation, the five rings will continue to be elusive.
Sindhu and Sakshi have, however, brought new brio to Rio. These girls have managed to avoid the white-wash blushes of the billion. They have salvaged some of the pride that the people like Shobha De had stomped upon.
Talking of Shobe De, shame on her! For her to have come down heavily upon the athletes, smacks of arrogance and frivolity. These athletes have put in more than their best foot forward, under extremely trying circumstances. A case in point - without any help or assistance from the government, Sindhu, now the badminton heroine of India, travelled 56 km one way, every day, to practice, and her coach Gopichand has vouched that she has not been late even on a single day, for practice. This shows the fire in the belly, and the commitment, and above all, that burning urge to do excel, for the sake of herself and for a nation of eternal hopefuls. Many of the athletes have done much more than was expected, given that total lack of any infrastructure in any corner of the country that could have possibily fostered an atmosphere of competitive athletics. If there is anything to be condemned, it is the apathy of the successive governments, the callousness of the sport ministry and sports body officials, and rampant corruption that has been derailing any attempts to improve our lot in the tracks ( and fields). Instead of targeting these maladies, Shobha had chosen to train her guns on the hapless athletes. Totally unbecoming of a senior socialite.
For a nation that goes overboard to produce engineers and doctors, and generally scorns at any attempt to encourage any sports zeal in our sons and daughters, the games will go on. The show will go on. We Indians drown ourselves in movies and cricket, to forget our harsh everyday realities. In such a situation, the five rings will continue to be elusive.
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