Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Specials / Olympics 2012/  A few bright spots in India’s gloomy run
BackBack

A few bright spots in India’s gloomy run

Performances of the badminton players reveal depth and breadth in the sport

Deepika Kumari, the world No. 1, lost to Amy Oliver of Great Britain, ranked 37. Photo: Manvender Vashist/PTI (Manvender Vashist/PTI )Premium
Deepika Kumari, the world No. 1, lost to Amy Oliver of Great Britain, ranked 37. Photo: Manvender Vashist/PTI
(Manvender Vashist/PTI )

London: The story yet of India’s campaign in the London Olympics has been one of turbulence, travails and some tragic results, rather than joy and achievement, the bronze medal of Gagan Narang notwithstanding.

The second round ouster of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna will be more grist to the mill for cynics. The performance in tennis—so far—has been poor, but it reflects even badly on a toothless All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) than on the prima donnas who created such a song and dance before the Games. While the results in tennis have been disappointing, they are not half as inglorious as in archery, where the Indian athletes—both men and women—have flopped miserably.

Wednesday’s first round exit of Deepika Kumari is a case in point. Ranked No. 1 in the world, she was arguably the one sure-shot medal bet in these Games. But like her teammates, she fizzled out without a semblance of a fight, losing 2-6 in the first round itself to Great Britain’s Amy Oliver who was ranked a lowly 37.

Deepika failed to hit the bull’s eye even once, and looked to be on tenterhooks right through, the tremors in her arms and shoulder conspicuous. The conditions at Lord’s—where a strong crosswind has blown right through the past few days—have not been easy to handle. But it seems churlish for the Indian squad to blame these for the setback when it was clear that the archers—almost without exception—were perhaps not mentally prepared for the big stage.

Conditions have not differed for any other archer, and it seems silly that the coach, support staff and archers could have been ignorant about how fickle the weather can be in England and not prepared to make the necessary adjustments. Deepika is only 18, but in the Olympics, a lack of years or experience is not necessarily an impediment, as the history of the Games reveals. Rather, it is the amount of rigour in practice, focus and steely determination to win that can make a difference.

This came through in the performance of Parupalli Kashyap, who stormed into the quarterfinals of the badminton men’s singles, beating Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne at Wembley Park around the time Deepika was crumbling at Lord’s. Kashyap, no spring chicken at 25, had come here without any pretensions to a medal and has already reached a level greater than any badminton player before him. What has made him raise his game?

“I’ve spent four years in hard training for these Games," he said after the win. “I needed power, consistency and a better strategic understanding of how to play different opponents. With help from the coach and others, this seems to have worked."

Indeed, the badminton players appear to be the best equipped—physically and mentally—to take on the Olympic challenge, if the performances of Saina Nehwal and Kashyap are anything to go by. Even if they don’t lead to a medal, their performances reveal depth and breadth in the sport in India; this despite the federation not quite being in sync with the players at all times.

The contribution of former stalwarts Prakash Padukone, Vimal Kumar and more specifically Pullela Gopi Chand—who is coach here—has been significant in the spotting and development of young talent. This is quite in contrast to tennis, which appears to have stagnated.

The early exit of Bhupathi and Bopanna may inspire a fresh round of stories of what may have been had the pairings been different, but these only address the symptoms, not the cause. The one-upmanship game between Bhupathi, Bopanna and Leander Paes prior to the Olympics was unedifying to say the least. But it is not personality clashes that have hurt as much as the fact that in India, the sport is desperately short on fresh talent. This has allowed ageing stars such as Paes, Bhupathi et al to dictate terms to the toothless association.

It must be acknowledged, of course, that these star players have worked their way to international excellence almost on their own steam, without much assistance from the association. But winning an Olympic medal requires a dedicated and ruthless approach in spotting and mentoring young talent, and in selection.

And therein lies a story: not just in tennis, but in Indian sport.

Ayaz Memon writes a fortnightly column in Mint, Beyond Boundaries.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 29 Aug 2012, 06:44 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App