How the system kills our athletes
THE CHALLENGES Most athletes don’t get the right grooming during the transition years. A good coaching plan, which can change careers, is also missing
During the 2002 Junior World Championship in Kingston, Jamaica, Usain Bolt won his maiden title, a gold in 200m. In the previous edition, the lissome Russian athlete, Yelena Isinbayeva, had won the pole vault title. Within a few years of their achievements, both the athletes became legends.
An Indian woman athlete, standing six feet and having a built to match her imposing height, was also cornering glory not far from where Bolt had given an indication of his immense talent. Seema Antil won gold in 2000, but soon lost it, owing to a positive dope test. She was issued a public warning and let off. Antil was back in the very next edition in 2002, winning bronze.
While Bolt and Isinbayeva emerged as one of the greatest athletes of all time, Antil’s career graph didn’t quite take off, mired in controversies and injury struggles. The contrast is stark. Antil’s best achievement came as late as the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, where she won gold — at 30 years of age.
Scores of Indian athletes simply lose their way while graduating to the senior level, and while Antil and long jumper Anju Bobby George did manage to eke out some decent performances over the years, the majority don’t even cross the proverbial threshold of success.
So, what’s it about Indian athletes that stop them from taking the big leap?
It’s perhaps the huge number of insurmountable challenges that prevent them from moving to the next level.
Antil concedes she didn’t get the right grooming during her transition years. “That was around 17-18 years back, It’s lacking even today. There are still no customised plans for talented athletes, no state-of-the-art facilities and no scientific backup,” says Antil.
“There have been a few junior athletes who’ve done well in the last four-five years, but none of them were extended special training. I am afraid they might have to go through the same troubles I encountered. You cannot put everyone on the same old conveyor belt,” she adds.
A new crop of athletes, such as Delhi sprinter Amoj Jacob, who broke the decade-old 400m record in the U-20 category at the junior national meet in Vijayawada last year, is emerging. Former chief national coach JS Saini feels the boy has potential and can break the 45sec barrier, “if nurtured properly”.
He points to the innate lethargy in the system, which stalls the athletes’ progress. “If athletes from countries like Sri Lanka can go below 45sec, why can’t we?” asks Saini.
During the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, Odisha’s Amiya Mallick clocked 21.33 to win bronze in 200m. A decade later, he is in the same zone. At the Asian Championship at Bhubaneswar last year, he clocked 21.03, a marginal improvement.
“Systematic training is missing at the junior level. After doing well in age group events, I increased my training load. But, instead of showing signs of improvement, I started getting injured frequently, thus missing training sessions,” says Mallick. The boy missed the 2010 Commonwealth Games due to an injury.
An exposure trip to Jamaica, the home of Usain Bolt, opened Mallick’s eyes. “The exposure trip before the Rio Olympics was an eye-opener. They have an elite coaching plan. It’s different from the grassroots programme,” he said.
An elite coaching plan could have helped Haryana’s middle-distance runner Beant Singh in 2014-15, but it may be too late now.
Beant had a string of record-breaking performances in age-group competition. Though the 19-year-old is still a 2020 Tokyo Games hopeful, he was sidelined due to injuries for more than a year.
“It’s all because of lack of proper guidance when these athletes are growing up,” says Saini.
JOB SECURITY
In 2016, another junior athlete Neeraj Chopra created history, clinching gold with a junior world record in javelin at the U-20 Junior World Championship.
On his return, Neeraj started focusing on getting a decent government job to secure his future.
“Most seniors advised me to get a decent job first. They said a sportsperson’s life is unpredictable and you never know when an injury will halt your career. I am happy I was accommodated by the Indian Army,” said Neeraj.
Antil is livid. “Why should an athlete like Neeraj worry about his future? It should be the responsibility of the government. Players should have confidence that they would be taken care of if something adverse happens,” she says.
FACILITIES LACKING
The latest young athlete to shine on the world junior circuit is Damneet Singh, winning the hammer throw silver in the in the Under-18 World Championship in July last year.
A product of the Batth Hammer Throw Academy in Barnala, Punjab, Damneet has trained with very basic equipment, of the kind used in low-cost gyms.
“We thought Damneet’s medal in the world meet would change the fate of the academy. But things haven’t changed; they’ve become worse,” says coach Sukhraj Singh. “Damneet should have been provided with the best facilities, but he continues to train with the same old equipment and takes care of his diet.”
Even though job security and facilities are paramount, absolutely no thought is given to issues of overage and doping.
“These two scourges can nip careers in the bud,” says medical expert Ashok Ahuja. Promising 17-year-old javelin thrower Rohit Yadav failed a dope test for performance-enhancing drugs at a national youth meet and was stripped of his Asian Youth Championship silver last year.
“The list of such recalcitrant athletes is endless,” says Ahuja, adding, “Many youngsters are focused on taking food supplements and banned substances. No one talks about how to improve technique, they are more eager to know about the latest food
supplement.”
SCORES OF INDIAN ATHLETES SIMPLY LOSE THEIR WAY WHILE GRADUATING TO THE SENIOR LEVEL. IT’S PERHAPS THE HUGE NUMBER OF CHALLENGES THAT PREVENT THEM FROM MOVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL