With Incheon Games 2014 finally coming to an end, I am left with two options. One, I can sulk, crib and cry about the fall in India’s medal tally from the Guangzhou Games or two, I can feel proud of all that our athletes achieved this time. All because of Guangzhou, where we won eight medals more. But doesn’t every podium finish add to the glory of a nation and make a difference to the overall final standing? Hadn’t we best celebrate the 57 medals we have now, and the fact that some have come in from new disciplines like swimming and track and field events? How does it matter that in the previous Games we won 65 medals?
As a proud Indian, I opt to celebrate the present. Our athletes, despite getting minimum backing from the so-called Indian officials before and during the Games, undoubtedly put their best foot forward. Despite the fact that the final list of Indian participants came out at the very last moment, our athletes fought to the finish, winning or losing.
Incheon will always be remembered by every Indian for various reasons. Yes, we are quick to recall the negatives, ranging from the quality of the food served to the controversy over the bronze awarded to Indian boxer Sarita Devi. But let’s focus on the positives we were able to bring home.
I am sure no one will fault me for saying that the Incheon Games administered the kiss of life to Indian hockey. And what better way than by defeating archrivals Pakistan for the gold? There were a couple of firsts, in arenas that did not even enter our reckoning as possible medal prospects.
Who would have thought we would win a medal in the not-so-well known sport of Wushu, thanks to Sanathoi Devi in Women’s Sanda and Narendra Grewal in Men’s Sanda, then the first-ever medal in women’s sailing won by Varsha Gautam and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan and a surprise bronze by Sandeep Sejwal in the 50m breast stroke swimming category and the cherry on top of the sundae being the silver India got in the 20-km race walk, thanks to Kushbir Kaur’s going that extra winning mile for us.
When we have so many reasons to smile, why should we sit back and cry over what was lost? Imagine, had our sport federations and officials taken serious interest in pushing forward and encouraging these athletes from the word go, our medal kitty certainly would have been more gilded and silvered.
Our athletes have shown us they do their utmost and as we now head towards Rio, it’s the turn of our officials to clean up their act and ensure that they don’t repeat the same mistakes. Indian athletes, go ahead, enjoy that well-deserved party until it’s time again to break a sweat.
(The writer is News Editor, The Free Press Journal, heading the Sports Desk)
