A 'RIO'LITY CHECK!
The Olympics are done and dusted and the Indian contingent has returned home with what is perceived to be a below par performance. The few bright spots in an otherwise tepid performance are being wooed,feted and celebrated as though there is no tomorrow.Victory marches, offers of jobs, houses, land, vehicles and endorsements are being heaped on a few chosen ones. Now don't get me wrong.. Sindhu, Dipa, and Sakshi deserve a lot of praise because they have performed extremely well, not because of our systems but despite it.
Everybody who is anybody is desperate to associate their names with the three young women .Our news hungry media runs around unearthing even their 3rd grade teachers who talk about how they knew the child was destined to greatness.. just by the way she sat in class! The parents of these girls are pulled out of obscurity and almost paraded looking shy and uncomfortable at the absolutely asinine questions being hurled at them. Every thing from her diet to her favourite colour is the breaking news.
Not to be left behind, other present and former players of all other sports too are asked to give their expert advice on why is it that these young girls succeeded. And they all happily oblige as , after all , it is publicity for them. All of this frenzy will go on for a few days until it peters off or until the next little big story comes along and all the above have had their little moments in the Sun.
What is it that happens after all the hue and cry has gone down, as let me assure you it will? Are these athletes given all that is promised to them? I am afraid not, if the past experiences are anything to go by. We hear of the promises given after the earlier Games ignored, delayed and even forgotten once the athletes drop off from the front pages or fade from the screen. A lucky photogenic, glamorous, few will be seen in ads promoting anything and everything.. From slippers to Club Soda!
But what of the other sportspersons who were also at Rio? Where are they ? Why is it that no one hears about them? Well it is probably because they are deemed to have failed as they did not win any medals or did not even come close to it. They went to Rio in obscurity facing hurdles and obstacles and have come back to a life of obscurity and will have to, if they still have the will, energy and grit, to repeat the process all over again in the hope that they too can get that elusive medal that would be their passports to a better future.
Ministries, PSUs, Corporates, State Governments and business tycoons have promised huge rewards for our successful trio. But where is the money to create and nurture many more such successes? Though there is no dearth of funding why does it not go into helping talents train ? Why is it that every one wants to hitch their wagons to a star but have not done anything to enable the star to shine ? Why have we not created enough facilities for our future stars to train and why hasn't any Corporate or PSU announced that they will be sponsoring either the equipment or facility to help athletes to start training for the next Olympics? Why do the funds go instead to making sure that the administrators and officials can travel, shop and roam the world in style?
I am not saying anything new or sensational here. Many have expressed such views. My only hope is that if more of us speak out our voices would get loud enough for it to penetrate the delusion and entitlement infused psyche of all those who can but choose not to make a difference. So let us all not sit in our comfortable armchairs and berate the pathetic state of our sports. Let us all try to improve the conditions, create more training facilities, rid the selection system of corruption and above all make sure that at least in the future no athlete will have to plead for her shoes, his equipment and above all for a little water during their events!!
The Olympics are done and dusted and the Indian contingent has returned home with what is perceived to be a below par performance. The few bright spots in an otherwise tepid performance are being wooed,feted and celebrated as though there is no tomorrow.Victory marches, offers of jobs, houses, land, vehicles and endorsements are being heaped on a few chosen ones. Now don't get me wrong.. Sindhu, Dipa, and Sakshi deserve a lot of praise because they have performed extremely well, not because of our systems but despite it.
Everybody who is anybody is desperate to associate their names with the three young women .Our news hungry media runs around unearthing even their 3rd grade teachers who talk about how they knew the child was destined to greatness.. just by the way she sat in class! The parents of these girls are pulled out of obscurity and almost paraded looking shy and uncomfortable at the absolutely asinine questions being hurled at them. Every thing from her diet to her favourite colour is the breaking news.
Not to be left behind, other present and former players of all other sports too are asked to give their expert advice on why is it that these young girls succeeded. And they all happily oblige as , after all , it is publicity for them. All of this frenzy will go on for a few days until it peters off or until the next little big story comes along and all the above have had their little moments in the Sun.
What is it that happens after all the hue and cry has gone down, as let me assure you it will? Are these athletes given all that is promised to them? I am afraid not, if the past experiences are anything to go by. We hear of the promises given after the earlier Games ignored, delayed and even forgotten once the athletes drop off from the front pages or fade from the screen. A lucky photogenic, glamorous, few will be seen in ads promoting anything and everything.. From slippers to Club Soda!
But what of the other sportspersons who were also at Rio? Where are they ? Why is it that no one hears about them? Well it is probably because they are deemed to have failed as they did not win any medals or did not even come close to it. They went to Rio in obscurity facing hurdles and obstacles and have come back to a life of obscurity and will have to, if they still have the will, energy and grit, to repeat the process all over again in the hope that they too can get that elusive medal that would be their passports to a better future.
Ministries, PSUs, Corporates, State Governments and business tycoons have promised huge rewards for our successful trio. But where is the money to create and nurture many more such successes? Though there is no dearth of funding why does it not go into helping talents train ? Why is it that every one wants to hitch their wagons to a star but have not done anything to enable the star to shine ? Why have we not created enough facilities for our future stars to train and why hasn't any Corporate or PSU announced that they will be sponsoring either the equipment or facility to help athletes to start training for the next Olympics? Why do the funds go instead to making sure that the administrators and officials can travel, shop and roam the world in style?
I am not saying anything new or sensational here. Many have expressed such views. My only hope is that if more of us speak out our voices would get loud enough for it to penetrate the delusion and entitlement infused psyche of all those who can but choose not to make a difference. So let us all not sit in our comfortable armchairs and berate the pathetic state of our sports. Let us all try to improve the conditions, create more training facilities, rid the selection system of corruption and above all make sure that at least in the future no athlete will have to plead for her shoes, his equipment and above all for a little water during their events!!
