How a bunch of sporty Indian youngsters gave us hope
There are winners and victors. Winners can be fleeting, victors inspire a movement. Their triumphs are like salve to the wounded psyche, and they can inspire others through extraordinary feats. Such exploits can rouse a socially (and politically) battered nation, unite it and help it rise above petty divisions, bitterness and hate. This is where sport finds redemption, even reconciliation if the energy is channelled positively for greater glory.
I’m reminded of a recent column by a former editor of Khaleej Times in which he said the youth of India must rise against social ills that have scuttled the potential of the nation of 1.3 billion, the world’s largest democracy, where the stated ideal is ‘unity in diversity’. But in reality, that ideal has been tainted by corruption in all walks of life. There is an ongoing caste and class struggle that is ripping the soul of the country. The meek in India do not inherit the land of
ahimsa (non-violence). They are exploited and thrown into a fire where institutional ineptitude, moral turpitude and personal servitude consume them. Now is the time for action in the country that is tired of grandstanding, PR and dangerous spin. Not once in four years has the head of government held an open media conference with remnants of the free press to discuss issues that concern ordinary Indians. For the record, India has more than 50 per cent of its population below age 25. By 2020, the average age will be 29 years. The same year, the average age in China will be 37, while in Japan, it is expected to hit 48 years.
Indeed, India has youth on its side and, unlike the PM and his nationalist party that finds a sinister inspiration in some far-flung Aryan identity, the young have talked less and performed in fields afar — through their positive sporting culture. They have stayed away from the dustbowl of Indian politics while the ruling party sought to claim credit for the recent spike in medals. At the recent Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the Indian contingent’s performance was arguably its best, though the 200-strong contingent’s haul of 66 medals is third behind the Delhi and Manchester games in numerical terms.
What is refreshing is that the effort was led by the young, and women athletes. Fifty per cent of the medals were won by women. Veterans like Mary Kom in women’s boxing and grappler Sushil Kumar chipped in with their golden experience. And, to their credit, they pulled it off withour major controversy, in stark contrast to the Delhi games in 2010 when India’s politicians took gold for the levels of corruption never witnessed before.
Delhi was home turf, and the 101 medal-haul in those games set the stage for a resurgence in Indian sporting culture. In Gold Coast, Australia, last week, India’s athletes fulfilled that promise and raised the bar higher to show they could come together and put their leaders to shame. They backed each other to prove their mettle in unfamiliar, alien conditions, despite the system back home that often does not care to look beyond the 11 on the pitch and the 11 million watching their antics.
The Gold Coast performance has been a revelation — not just for Indian sport, but about its larger culture that has assimilated, welcomed and given so much to the world. Statistically speaking, the country took third position overall, behind Australia and England. Team spirit provided the spark to this campaign — Indian commentators hailed the ‘‘diversity’’ of the medal haul. I’m not sure about that but I believe the team played to its strengths, in disciplines it has done well traditionally — like shooting, wrestling and weighlifting. The success rate in shooting was remarkable — 16 medals off 27 entries.
There was a certain maturity, a coming of age of the Indian sporting ethos. Yes, there was character, which I salute and pay tribute to in this piece. There was grit and a never-say-die attitude among team members who were not content with any medal. They went for gold with all their heart and they were ably supported by team members. Take the case of 23-year old woman grappler Vinesh Phogat who was seen cheering for javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra. Chopra, the 20-year old, clinched gold, the first by an Indian male athlete at the games. Phogat had a fight just an hour away. So after inspiring Chopra to a smashing throw, she scripted her own win by pinning down Canada’s Jessica Macdonald to pocket the freestyle 50 kg gold.
How can one not be inspired by a 22-year old Manika Batra who discontinued her college degree to focus on a career in table tennis? A big risk but she took it and was rewarded for her commitment with a paddling gold, another first by an Indian at the games. She now wants to make table tennis as popular as badminton in the country and follow in the footsteps of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu who bagged gold and silver in women’s badminton. The mixed team badminton gold was the icing on the cake and speaks volumes about the efforts of P Gopichand, a former All England Badminton champion who has blooded global stars from his academy in Hyderabad. A man so committed to the game that he refused to endorse a fizzy drinks brand in his prime. It is not mere passion, but devotion to sport that makes his work unique. He inspired and fanned a badminton movement in the country. Gopi and others like him in different sporting disciplines work their magic through the young of the country who go on to inspire generations. They are the reason Indian sport has come this far and has reason to hope. They are the victors worthy of veneration.
There was a maturity, a coming of age of the Indian sporting ethos. There was grit and a never-say-die attitude among team members who were not content with just any medal. They went for gold