India, the Asian Games and Indian Sports

Admittedly this hasn’t been the greatest Asian Games so far for India and we would be hard pressed to even match our performance in Doha four years ago. However, there have been some positives that get me enthused about India’s chances going forward in the not too distant future.

To start off, India won a couple of medals in disciplines that India was never considered to have even an outside chance in. Two Indian boys won us medals in swimming and gymnastics where even I, as an eternal optimist, has since long felt that we were yet not competitive enough to win anything at the Asian level. Oh boy, am I glad to be wrong and wouldn’t I be just delighted to be wrong on these more often.

So far China has completely decimated the competition and it seems as if most of the others are just competing for the silver and bronze medals. China's gold medal tally is more than its silver and bronze medal count combined and China got more medals in the first six hours then India’s overall medal at the end of 9th day of the Games as I write this.

I have a epiphany of sorts as I write this piece that when I reminiscent on this blog again after 16 years, roughly at the closing stages of the fourth Asian Games after this current one, I see Indian and China going head to head for the most gold and I hope India gives China a hell of fight that China quakes in its boot and romanticize on the days of their complete dominance.

Guys, won’t it be a great day for India and a proud day for us all. By that time I also want India to be preparing to host the Olympics Games and give shape to the greatest Games ever

Getting back to the present though, the reality is much different and we have to take whatever we can from the present and build on it in the future.

On a positive note, I just have had a great evening watching Indian women winning 2 golds for India in the middle and long distance races on the first day of the track and field events where India has managed to match China’s tally. By matching I mean, so far at least. I also have a premonition here that there are some more gold medals still to be had for India in the track and field.

Today has been in fact the best day for India at the Games with one gold in the shooting range at last and two on the track and field as I said earlier. Our performance in shooting though has been a tad disappointing considering the pedigree we have in the sport, but better late than never I say.

Today, the Indian women archers also did India proud when they so nearly toppled the favorites South Korea which was mesmerizing to see. We were on the verge of beating them, but one shot cost us victory and we lost the match in a tiebreaker. The Koreans went on to eventually win the Gold and left me pondering on what could have been.

I really am proud of the girls who in the end won the Bronze coming back from behind to win a nail biting thriller over the Taipei team who lost focus and were at times getting too confident for their own good. I see in the Indian girls the potential to be real world beaters if they go on and build on the potential they showed here and are able to keep their emotions in check and handle the pressure better. I wouldn’t also be surprised if we do well at the individual competition at archery.

We can hope for some more medals coming from wrestling, boxing and tennis, but track and field holds the greatest promise.

Looking at the performance at some of the more un-fancied sports, I am optimistic of India’s chances in these sports in the coming time. All we need is a commitment to building up a sports culture and when you consider the size and population of India, we have many world and Olympic champions just waiting to be burst on the scene.

I today prophesize that India’s financial, strategic and political influence in the world would be mirrored by its performance in the world of sports and we are already seeing that in a number of sports where we have more world champions and world number 1 emerging.

China is set to have a greater challenger than what Asia has been able to offer so far and I also have no doubt that China also recognized the threat that India is destined to offer in the future and are already working towards minimizing the repercussions.

Saina Nehwal has already put a serious dent on the Chinese aura of invincibility and it is no coincidence that there are at least 10 cameras covering her every move so that the Chinese could work on her weakness prior hand and potentially prevent an Indian supremacy in what has so far been a Chinese bastion.

I only hope that Indian sports administrators take sports just as seriously as the Chinese clearly do. There is so much that the dragon nation could teach the slumbering elephant, pardon the clichéd use of analogies, but the fact of the matter is that Chinese are already preparing for an Indian onslaught, which although maybe years out, makes you marvel at the Chinese preparation and dedication.

But one thing I have to admit, I much better see the Chinese win on the world stage which is the strongest developing nation in the world rather than see the old barons of the sporting world dominate again and again. Many might ask why do I support China, but my thinking on this matter goes like this; what the Chinese can achieve today is a precursor to what India is poised to achieve tomorrow.

I just can’t wait for India to win some more medals tomorrow. Go India go. I know I’ll be cheering. I am sure you all will be too.