Tokyo Olympics has come to an end. We waited eagerly and watched every event in which India participated. Although India could go past the highest medal tally of six medals achieved in 2012 London Olympics, we could inch up to only one more medal in Tokyo. There was heartbreak for the Women’s hockey team. They were on the brink of creating a fantastic finish to their campaign. They were close but could not go past the British barrier for a bronze medal . In the Women’s individual Golf event, after being second until the last round Aditi could not clinch a podium finish which she rightly deserved. The biggest celebration for India came in the form of Niraj Chopra’s gold medal in Men’s Javelin throw. The Men’s hockey team revived India’s glorious hockey tradition at the Olympics by securing a medal after 41 years. The disappointments were from Archery, Shooting and Boxing in which India was expected to win some medals. Olympics being the biggest stage for sporting action, the expectations are very high and so is the competition. The Games were anchored and conducted in true Japanese fashion with immaculate perfection and meticulousness despite the Covid threat.
Now that the action is over, we could compare our position vis-à-vis the sporting power houses, China, USA, Japan, Russia, Australia and others. India has no lack of talent but what has been said time and again and that is absolutely true, is the lack of facilities and coaching . Nurturing the talent is very important and athletes have to be groomed and provided all that they need in their quest for glory. Individual choice by determined sportsmen and women to pursue their passion has to be respected and not belittled. We as a community celebrate the victory and glory but should we not respect the grit, hard work and sacrifice they have to go through? A comfortable life and a respectable profession is what most parents aspire for for their children but when an athlete hits the road for that quest they need that support and encouragement. India will definitely win more medals in more sporting events if we could applaud not only the medals but also the journey of our sporting community.