Why a country of over one billion has to pray for an Olympic medal?

30 July, 2012

Neighbouring China with almost the same population vies for the topmost position in the medals tally at the London Olympics, while Indians are pinning their hopes on few individuals to get them at least few medals. Is it that our players don't work hard or they don't have access to best training? Whatever the reasons, performance at the Olympics shows that India is a non-sporting nation.

DURING THE Athens Games in the year 2004, Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore brought laurels to the country by winning a silver medal in men's double trap shooting competition. It was the year 1996, when Indian tennis star Leander Paes had won a bronze medal for India at Atlanta Olympics in Tennis, the whole of the nation got an excuse to celebrate throughout the day and night.

Then came the 2008 Beijing Olympics where 10 meter air rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra gave India its first gold medal in Olympics after 1980 and that too in an individual event. Before that India had won golds only in hockey. During the Beijing Games the country also got two bronze medals from wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Singh. With three medals in total Beijing Olympics was considered to be the best ever games for India in the history of summer Olympics.

Now the London Olympics is on the way and everyone is asking how many medals India could bring home from London? People are praying throughout the country, especially in home states of the participating athletes for their victory. Indian sports minister Ajay Maken too, in a tweet sought god's intervention to ensure medals for the air rifle shooters - Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang. “Leaving for shooting with a hope to see both Abhinav & Gagan on Podium! God please be with us today. Reward the hard work of our Athletes! ,” tweeted Mr Maken.

However, God has accepted only half of his prayers with Abhinav Bindra failing to qualify for the finals, while Gagan Narang reaching the finals of the 10m air rifle shooting.

Praying to God for something good is no sin, everyone does it. But in India, it seems we depend more on prayers than our own capabilities, which ultimately result in no-gain. Because God helps those who help themselves. It is not that our players do not practice hard to convert their labor into medals, it is not that God is against them. Then what is the problem that our neighboring country China, with almost same population, fights to top the medal list, however, India struggles hard to find at least a mention?

The figure of three medals at 2008 Beijing Olympics has increased the expectations of Indians. They were hoping for the same magic at London from Abhinav Bindra, who crashed out in the qualifiers and expecting that Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh will convert their bronze medals into golds. Apart from Vijender, people are expecting medals from other boxers also. Boxer Jai Bhagwan has already taken a step in that direction.

Besides them, the expectations are also from tennis players like Sania Mirza, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati who are representing the country at the coveted event. There are hopes from badminton star Sania Nehwal also that she will continue her magic at the Olympics.

Senior Editor at Wisden India, Shamya Dasgupta, who has authored a book on Indian Boxing and is on The Guardian's Worldwide Olympic Experts' Network says that India might win eight medals at the London Games. Dasgupta is hopeful that boxers will bring a large chunk of the glory for India at London Oylmpics.

“While my prediction of around eight medals for the Indians at the Olympics Games will do nothing to shatter the theory of India being a non-sporting nation (eight medals for a country of a billion people – what!), to me, the number being almost three times our best ever, is reason to be excited,” writes Dasgupta in one of his columns.