Today is the sixth day of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. India find themselves in a very unusual third position. Well it not that unusual, people would argue as India were 4th in the previous edition of the games at Manchester. But India doing well in sports is really something unusual. And by sports I mean anything other than Cricket.
In the current medal tally, India have 14 Golds, 8 Silver and 3 Bronze, only behind Australia and England. 11 of their Golds have come from Shooting and a few more are expected in the individual competitions which are yet to be held. Another two, from Weightlifting. India was competing after serving out a 1 year ban for failed dope tests during the Olympic Games. Of late these are the only two bastions of India sport, with the “Old Warhorse” – Hockey limping and disgraced.
But where did the other Gold medal come from? That one Gold was won in dramatic circumstances, which I would say, is almost akin to India’s victory over Australia after following on in Calcutta. India were 2-0 down to table tennis powerhouse (at least amongst the commonwealth countries) Singapore, when Sarath Kamal, Subhajit Saha and Soumyadeep Roy turned the tables on the hot favourites. India won the next three games to take a much unexpected gold.
But alas, it had to take refuge in the inner pages of every newspaper in India, because there was one cricket match going on. One Mr.Sachin Tendulkar being booed by the Wankhede crowd had to take the centre stage. And I am not blaming the media here. Media serves what the people want to read. Indian people have been very immature to respect other sports. One of the proudest moments in Indian table tennis history went unnoticed.
There were a few more bright sparks in the women’s TT, and the team badminton events. Mouma Das clinching a tense decider against Canada to get a bronze in the TT, 16 year old Saina Nehwal (not Sania Mirza) demolishing a top 30 badminton player from New Zealand to land India another completely unexpected bronze. All these are the moments which every Indian should remember in the same vigour as the remember Sachin’s down the track lofts of Shane Warne or Dravid’s smooth cover drives.
Among these proud moments, there have been some things which one should try to forget as well. India could only send 18 athletes in the track and field competition, with Anju Bobby George being the only serious medal contender. 1 billion people and only one medal contender. There’s also one Seema Antil, who had recently set a national record in Women’s discuss throw, with a whisker of a chance.
There are lots and lots of incidents to write. From the apathy shown by the Indian Athletics Federation, consistent poor performance by the India Swimming contingent to Samaresh Jung’s attempt to win 8 medals in shooting, Kunjurani Devi’s gold at the age of 38, first participation of Indian Gymnastics team etc etc. But I guess I better stop now.
