Why do we put so much emphasis on winning hearts over medals?A Change in Mindset is the Key to Future Success for India in Olympics!
Now that the likes of Sakshi and Sindhu have finally brought some joy and silverware to the Indian contingent, it is time to take stock of the situation. While we bask in the glory of a bronze and silver medal we have to understand that this is not enough especially for a country with 1.2 billion people.
Social Media Sentiments !
All this social media outpouring after every defeat should be stopped at once. We are putting too much emphasis on the nearly men and should instead start the inquest on why we have performed so poorly even after sending our largest contingent ever to the Olympics.
When Japan won the women’s team Table Tennis bronze medal match last night, with their standout player being a 15 year old, I was left to wonder the age when she must have started playing. Having played TT for a long time early on, I am not completely an alien to the competition in TT in India.
Listen to Past Winners !
We can assume its the same scenario in other racket sports.What I wonder is, where are we really lacking? Mr. Abhinav Bindra today tweeted about the UK investing heavily on their Olympic Sports infrastructure over the last few years. A Change in Mindset is the Key to Future Success for India in Olympics!
While I completely do not agree that money and infrastructure are the answer, and refuse to accept any arguments citing a lack of talent in India, I ponder how the situation really is in the top performing countries.
While we leave out events like shooting, rowing, equestarian, sailing aside, we should be seriously competing on other platforms for a place at the top.
Move On From Cricket !
All of us proudly recollect stories playing a number of sports during our childhood. Some of us even represent our schools, colleges, districts, states; but and almost all, at some stage, give it up for a degree in engineering or science. A Change in Mindset is the Key to Future Success for India in Olympics!
Is this only because most of our parents have plans for us, or probably we are ourselves not sure of being good enough. Is there enough love for the game, enough dedication at a very young age to persue our dreams, and the passion for the game; sacrifice a lot other, normal things in the process?
Infrastructural Issues ?
Can we really just blame it on the system that there are just not enough facilities for sports, that we do not perform at the highest level? Where do we find the motivation? The perseverance? A Change in Mindset is the Key to Future Success for India in Olympics!
This takes us back to the age old question- is sport given enough importance in India? No. Are we ready to deemphasize our studies for a few years to concentrate on sports? No. So, the first question we really need to address is how do we make this happen.
When there’s a demand, there will be infrastructure, there will be facilities, probably not cheap right away, but the Government will follow.Hopefully, Nita Ambani can do a lot more good in India now that she has seen the Olympics first hand. Sachin Tendulkar needs to step up his game in the Rajya Sabha, and public icons like Salman Khan (Not really), should do more for Sports in India. On a lighter note, a primetime TV serial would go a long way.A Change in Mindset is the Key to Future Success for India in Olympics !
We really need to stop being content with just winning hearts at the Games, we need medals.
