When I returned home today, after 40 minutes drive from my work place at around 5:30 PM, unlike other days, I was in for a surprise to see a festive mood in my home that my wife and son elated to broach the news of Neeraj Chopra winning the gold in Olympics.
The country with 1.3 billion population was content with a silver and a few bronzes and gold was not in our wildest imagination but something incredible had happened in the form Niraj Chopra and with his effort he brought glory to India on the world stage and in the process he had scripted a golden history in the annals of Indian track and field events.
For a moment, I wondered, how an Olympics success of an Indian athlele has such a power of transforming mood in an Indian household and generating a positive vibes all around!!
In an overnight, Neeraj Chopra mostly unknown to common Indians, has become a household name simply tells the power of success at the greatest sporting event on the earth called Olympics. While speaking to Prime minister Modi, Neeraj made a striking comment that like him there are thousands of athletes in India and all they need was proper encouragement and right atmosphere to nurture and showcase their talent and government needs to develop a sporting ecosystem in the country where in Chopras, Meerabai Chanus and their ilk get proper attention. There was a sense of imploring in the voice.
In the context of fan following the game of cricket enjoys in our country, Neeraj's words that beat into my ears like gong. And how true his words are that he is the first athelete to win a medal in track and field events in a century old Olympics history of India. It only shows our callous attitude towards athletic sporting events in general and track and field in particular.
On the other hand, we go crazy after the game called cricket where in a handful of countries in the world play the game and we rejoice at the success of the team and treat Tom, Dick and Harry like gods descended on earth. Nothing wrong in loving the game and worshipping the players but the question is to what extent and at what cost? This is the serious question to be pondered over by every right minded Indian now on to give their due of other sporting events in the country they deserve.
It is interesting to see the Olympic medal tally that top three nations in the list are all non cricket playing nations. In an equally interesting parallel my own friends who are not cricket geeks have done extremely well in their career and lives as well.
I once heard a prominent IT industry thought leader saying in India average indians mind space is occupied with bollywood, politics and cricket and if we remove the clutter and there is enough space for other things in our lives. So if we correct our lopsided vision and look around so that we can provide a level playing field to other sports in India to grow and prosper so that to see many more Neeraj Chopras on the anvil.
Olympics being the gratest and most prestigious sporting event in the world, naturally captures most eye balls in the world and performance at this event enhances the reputation a country in the world's eye and brings in immense respect and prestige to a country in the comity of nations.
It is distressing to see countries with a few million population winning at leat half dozen gold medals in Olympics but India with a billion plus population struggling to win a medal in the event is a matter of serious introspection for every Indian citizen.
In a couple decades, China has emerged as a giant of sporting nation and announcing its superiority on the world's stage using the Olympic platform.
Similarly India as an aspiring super power should start it's journey in the sporting arena and develop a sporting culture that nurtures to emerge real heros like Neeraj, Punia et all who made the nation proud on the world stage.
But then in Tokyo a spark has lit in the form of Neeraj Chopra and it should spread like a wildfire to the whole nation to begin the treasure hunt of gold in Paris 2024.
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