Fact: India is not a sporting nation.
Fact: Athletes train in harsh (sometimes dangerous) conditions because of lack of training facilities, in order to qualify for the Olympics.
Fact: In spite of their incredible stories, we are not proud of them because they failed to get a medal.
This is the harsh reality of an ungrateful nation says columnist Shweta Galande.
Indians like Shobha De, sit in the comforts of their homes and think they are qualified to pass judgements on the failure of our athletes when they have done nothing to ensure success. Dedication, perseverance, and hard work are words that people use in parties as punchlines. These athletes LIVE these words every day. They understand the ups and downs, the scraped knees and bruised egos that come with success and failure respectively. We are a highly impressionable nation. We try and imitate the west in terms of better infrastructure and hygiene.
Why can’t we imitate the way they treat their athletes- medals or no medals? Yes, every athlete dreams of winning a medal for their country, and they are doing their job by working hard. It is our job to support them, encourage them and propel them forward every step of the way. They are denied the very basic training facilities and then are given hell for not winning a medal. Where is the justice in that? Would you ever ask you child to become a doctor without giving him/her relevant medical books? Then why are athletes treated differently? They don’t ask for much. They can make do without better training facilities and they don’t need your money. The only thing they ask for is pride, love, and support. Give them due credit, and trust me, our athletes are talented enough to dominate the next olympics.
Anirban Lahiri’s post right after the finish of Golf at Olympics
