The power of eight
Vivek Atray

Appearances can be deceptive. Michael Phelps looks like any other well-built Olympian, smiles more broadly than most, and thinks of his mother whenever he wins. What is not evident from that amiable exterior is his steely determination, the fire in his belly, and the winability quotient, which he possesses in far greater quantity than any human being who has walked this earth.

The ability to keep on winning, race after race and day after day with not a thought of failure is what separates the true champions from the rest of the pack. In the case of Phelps, we knew that he would win a heap of gold medals in the pool at Beijing. We had also heard of his proclamation of claiming all 8 golds that were on offer in the events in which he was to take part. As seasoned sports-watchers, however, we thought that he would slip up somewhere, in one event at least. This writer thought that he would probably get 7 golds and a silver or a bronze.

Even the great Don Bradman had scored a duck in his last innings to fall short of a career average of 100, by a few decimal points! The greatest of all sportsmen - Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar and Tiger Woods to name some- have their off days, their sporadic defeats. Nobody could be perfect we thought`85How wrong we were! Mr Phelps just knows how to keep winning.

Indeed his performance is not about power or agility alone or even about the ability to swim like a fish. Phelps is in many ways the definition of a complete human being with super human powers. The very fact that he thought first of his mother after winning his 14th gold, bears testimony to the fact that he is as normal as anyone else, as a person, despite possessing the aforesaid super human qualities. Phelps has redefined human endeavour and he has attained excellence with a precision that was thought to be present only in the realm of technological gadgets.

His own statement that every thing fell into place at the right time may sound simplistic, but in fact is absolutely the reason for this astonishing achievement. His training, his supreme quality as a swimmer, his height, his fitness and his winner’s luck all ensured that nothing could stop him. To top all that, his family was with him at each step during his long arduous training sessions and also during his participation at the Olympics.

Legendary figures have many stories associated with them, and in the case of Phelps such tales are just unfolding. It is said that he can swim each lap in a pre-determined timing, nearest to the 10th of a second! In one of the gold medal races at Beijing he was blinded because of water droplets in his goggles and yet managed to win the gold with a world record timing! He knew exactly how many strokes he would need to cover a lap. He himself has stated that he couldn’t see anything at the time, did not know whether he was coming first, second or third in that race, but was sure that he was giving it his best! His astronomical diet which includes all kinds of Americanisms and fattening substances is irrelevant in view of the fact that he swims for 4 hours every day!

Mark Spitz who won 7 golds in Munich in 1972 was not joking when he said Michael Phelps is the very greatest athlete to have lived on the planet. The very definition of sporting success has been irrevocably changed by Phelps. He has at least another edition of the Olympic Games to go before he throws away his swimming trunks. At London in 2012 he may well win another 8 gold medals taking his tally to a mind- boggling 22 gold medals.

What his success means for young people all over the world, is what really matters. In countries like India which don’t offer the most conducive environments for rearing a sporting culture, thousands of youngsters could be inspired to jump into the pool in pursuit of sporting glory. A man as iconical as Phelps can become a symbol of hope and aspiration for youngsters all over the world. The fact that his family values seem to be exemplary too, is the icing on the cake. For young people, Michael Phelps is the new role model to follow, whatever their career choice!

Down, not out
Gagan K. Teja

Akhil Kumar, India’s newest boxing sensation, may not have won any medal at Beijing Olympics. But his fearless display at the Games has won a billion hearts. Born in a small town of Uttar Pradesh, he proved his mettle at the global stage, when he defeated world champion Sergey Vodopyanov in an edge-of-the-seat thriller to book his place in the quarterfinals.

His powerful punches and aggression made him a star attraction at the Games and the support he generated among the local audience was proof of his elevated stature in the ring. Back home, the aspiring pugilists found a hero they could look up to and try to emulate.

Akhil received his initial training at the Bhiwani Boxing Club. His coach Jagdish Singh has been one of the biggest influences in his life and he still holds his mentor in the highest regard.

During the course of the Games, Akhil emerged as an un-conventional boxer. His fighting style, of letting his guard low and challenging the opponent to attack, was a clear reflection of his positive and confident frame of mind. Although his loss in the quarters had partly to do with his open technique, he definitely displayed a robust never-seen-before side of Indian boxing.

Akhil’s run in to the Olympics had been slightly mired by an injury he had sustained last year. But he still took risks and trained with even more vigour to ensure that his country could feel proud of his achievement. His statement, "Dreams are not what you get while sleeping. Dreams are those that do not let you sleep" gives one a clear insight into the mind of a man who seemed over-confident on the surface, but was deeply connected to the harsh realities deep down.

Goajn, the Maldovan boxer who defeated him, stuck to his defence throughout the fight, clearly explaining the kind of influence he has had on his opponents. Akhil failed to break the Maldovan’s defencive resolve, and Gojan made good use of his offensive style to conjure the points that mattered. Before the quarterfinal bout Akhil had said, "It’s not possible to assure you of the gold but I can tell you that I’m here to win only gold". The statement showed that there was no lack of character in the Rohtak lad. That it was not to be his day is a different matter.

His will and determination to fight, and fight hard against the odds is what sets him apart from anything we have seen till date. But a pressing matter that is yet to unfold is how the government reacts to this magnificent display by Akhil. Will he be able to reap the benefits that might have been lauded upon him, say if he had won a medal? No one is expecting the government to drown him in rewards, though the Haryana government has promised a sum of Rs 25 lakh, but will the basic needs be taken care of? Akhil had expressed his concern at the most opportune time during the Games when he had said, "I don’t know what will happen if I loose but I am saying this because I know I will be heard at least today." Now that he has lost, it remains to be seen whether the government actually recalls his statement and decides to use his performance as the fuel to speed up the growth of boxing in India. Or will his concern drown in the overwhelming noise made by the silence of the authorities?

G.S. Sandhu the boxers’ coach had said before going to the Olympics, "A medal is not all important for me. What is important is that we give our best performance and that is what my boys will do. I am sure of their success and that when they come back they will arrive with their heads held high." Its not just Sandhu who needs to be heard at this point of time, but also the long-forgotten Olympic spirit that lays the emphasis on participation and makes winning and losing secondary. Lets hope, for the sake of Indian boxing, that despite Akhil’s loss, the real winner out of this is the sport.

New chess champs aim higher

Joining the ranks of Viswanathan Anand and P Harikrishna makes him delighted, but 18-year-old junior world chess champion Abhijeet Gupta says his dream was to replicate the feat at the senior level.

Gupta, who recently became the third Indian-ever to win the championship, said he wanted to become World Chess champion like compatriot Anand. "I want my rankings in the top 100 by next January for which 50-60 points more are needed. I will work hard and focus more on my games," Gupta said.

"Some events like Commonwealth championship at Nagpur in September, Netherlands in October and Portugal in November will help me achieve that," he added. GM Abhijeet Gupta outwitted UK’s David Howell in final round to win the world junior title and join the ranks of Viswanathan Anand and P Harikrishna to became the third Indian ever to win it. Anand had won it in 1987 and Harikrishna in 2004.

Earlier, top seeded International Master India’s D Harika proved her top billing right by winning the World Junior Girls Championship with one round to spare after beating Narmin Kazimova of Azerbaijan in the 12th and penultimate round. Harika took her tally to an unassailable 10 points out of a possible 12 and steered a full point clear of Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine who was held to a draw by Anastasia Bodnaruk of Russia.

Harika is the second Indian girl ever to win the Junior World champion title after Koneru Humpy in 2001. — PTI

Shot in the arm
Akash Ghai

India won a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, and in 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra went a step ahead to bring a first-everv gold, creating history and beoming the first individual to win gold for the country.

With these Olympic achievements, the Indian shooters have become a force to reckon with across the world, feels former shooter and national selector Tajinder Singh Dhillon. "Now I foresee that shooting is going to be the real sporting power of India", Dhillon asserted while talking to The Tribune at Abhnav Bindra’s house, here.

"I have been associated with the game for the past 25 years. First as a player and then as an official, but I have never seen such enthusiasm, which the sport has generated of late", Dhillon said, who accompanied the shooting contingent at Beijing.

"This is the golden era of shooting, I must say. And all credit goes to our shooters, their hard work and dedication. Now the sport will grow manifold in the coming days", Dhillon, who represented the country in the 9^th Asian Games and captained the Indian team at Ist World Police Games, said confidently.

Sharing his experiences from Beijing, Dhillon said, "In this Olympics, we (the shooters) were a very strong team. We went with a hope to return with minimum two-three medals. The morale of the shooters was also very high. Somehow, the other strong contenders like Gagan Narang, Manavjit Sandhu, Mansher Singh and Anjali Bhagwat could not put up up-to-mark show there. Gagan could have made it to the podium, but it was sheer bad luck as he missed the final berth by just .01 point".

"Though we won only a single medal, but it was definitely a great experience that we had at Beijing. The arrangements were arranged and specialised in such a way that convenience looked like a necessity. To sum it up, the arrangements there were just fantastic. To celebrate Abhinav’s win, Commonwealth Organising Committee also threw a party on August 11 (the same day, Abhinav won the gold). Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao was also present at the party", Dhillon said. Dhillon, who is optimistic that in the next Olympics shooting would be the dominant force in the Indian contingent, wants to streamline things for the sport to make it a more feasible proposition for the enthusiasts.

"Actually we face lot of problems regarding import of ammunition. Besides, there is also need to develop shooting infrastructure. After this no one can stop us from being the numero uno in the sport", summed up Dhillon.