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Are we Ready for The
Olympics?
After the successful
hosting of the Commonwealth Games, Vaibhav
Sharma checks out India’s options for an Olympics bid
The spectacular opening and closing
ceremonies silenced all critics |
The
show did go on!
Delhi put its best foot forward as the world noticed during the
Commonwealth Games. The spectacular opening ceremony silenced
all the wagging tongues. The village received much praise from
internatinal athletes and the unmatched international cuisine
showcased there won many hearts. The unprecedented success for
the hosts on the field was the icing on cake.
After the
success of the Games, there is just one question on everyone’s
lips whether we are ready for the ultimate event of them
all`85the Olympics!
The answers are
varying, and people are still not sure whether this is a serious
proposition or just an euphoric aftermath of the Commonwealth
Games’ success. While the Games generated enough optimism and
a general feeling of how we succeeded in showing everyone how
good we are at accommodating the ‘world’, the Olympics might
be a different ballgame all together.
The
infrastructure, stadiums, roads, facilities and the experience
of handling a major event like the Commonwealth Games will
definitely come in handy for any future endeavours, but there is
no doubt that the difference between the magnitude of the two
cannot be overestimated. The Commonwealth is, too, small a
fraternity to be compared to the biggest global event. While the
CWG had just 17 events to cater to, the Olympics includes 33
events. Therein lies the biggest challenge to be able to handle
the needs and world-class requirements for all these events.
The
Commonwealth Games have, in many ways, changed the face of the
national capital. The amount of money pumped into thw
infrastructure is tremendous, and it should help Delhi in
understanding its ability to be better than what many believe it
is capable of.
Flyovers, an
even more comprehensive Metro network, broader roads and a
complete set of stadiums, both new and renovated ones and many
more civic facilities, mean that Delhi is in contention to make
its mark as the sports capital of the nation and a major
sporting destination globally. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Indira
Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Siri Fort
Sports Complex and S. P. Mukherjee Swimming Complex are
facilities that will not only help Delhi boost local sports, but
also ensure that it is ready for more nationaland international
events.
If India gets to host the 2020 Olympics, it has to make sure that there is no
last-minute rush |
Despite the
news of delay in construction and collapse of false ceilings and
foot bridges, the quality of work done on these venues was
appreciated by all visiting athletes. The provision of
world-class amenities was reaffirmed by the successful conduct
of the respective events in which these athletes participated.
But are these venues good enough for the Olympics?
When China had
hosted the Olympic Games in 2008, there were many apprehensions
put forward by the Western world about China’s ability to host
smooth, problem and pollution-free Games and the specific venues
and their quality. Well, China not only delivered, it delivered
in style. The venues were ready much before time and showed the
finesse of Chinese architecture. The famous athletics stadium
– the Bird’s Nest – was one such shining example.
Our own
stadiums are definitely up to the mark, but the standards will
have to be maintained till the time India is awarded the
Olympics.
Meeting
deadlines and delivering on time is not our forte; neither is
constant upkeep and upgrading of the infrastructure. The
stadiums that are being praised right now will have to be in
tune with the technological advances. If India gets the 2020
Olympics, then it has to make sure that there is no last-minute
rush to install a new HD camera or a motion sensor or a new
scoring system.
This means that we must shed
our archaic ways and get into a dynamic overdrive where the
desire for excellence is backed by the ability to be unrelenting
in terms of providing the best of facilities. So in terms of
infrastructure, the question is not whether we can host the
Olympics or not, the question is whether we can sustain and
build on the good work we have already done for these Games.
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Sports
culture missing
As there is not enough security in sports, other than cricket or tennis, parents hesitate in choosing other games as a career option for their kids |
All of us
know that we are a country having an elementary sports
culture. We are a typical one-sport nation, and that sport
is not an Olympic sport. The fans, the advertisers and,
most importantly, the kids are all hooked on to cricket.
So what, really, are the odds that the Olympic disciplines
will be at home in a country like ours?
We have
done exceedingly well in shooting, wrestling, boxing and
badminton. Even tennis also throws up a medal hopeful at
almost all international events. But as the CWG also
showcased, it is really important to do well in the track
and field events and also in aquatics, where the bulk of
the medals is won. And it is exactly in these disciplines
that we need to pull ourselves up.
We need
the athletes, men and women, who can set the tracks on
fire with their sensational performances, be it sprints or
jumps. China, for example, had Liu Xiang, former 110m
hurdles world champion (although he did not participate in
the Games because of an injury).
What
names can we conjure up? Who among our current crop of
athletes can rise to the occasion, not just at the CWG,
but at the world stage and give India the much-needed
representation in these events? The answer is, nobody!
The most
unfortunate part, which also goes to show our biased
understanding of sports, is that every time we talk about
the country of a billion people, we end up talking about
cricket only, making statements like "And we still
can’t produce a quality fast bowler". Why can’t
we focus on about our inability in generating world-class
athletes and take some remedial measures?
Sadly we
keep harping on the story of a single legendary Sikh
bringing India close to an Olympic medal and that was
decades ago. Do we have no more heroes, or aspiring and
willing candidates for the vacant post of a ‘star
athlete’? Even the Flying Sikh has said many a times
that he feels embarrassingly humbled by the fact that
people are still struggling to break his record!
Herein lies the biggest
predicament that we need to look into, before we make up
our mind about our chances of hosting the Olympics. Can’t
our sports federations be run professionally and the
players be taken care of? Why is there not enough security
in choosing a particular sport as a career option that
parents don’t hesitate in sending their kids on the
field? These questions need to be addressed and we need to
treat sports much more than just a recreational activity.
If we can answer these questions, then depending on our
belief in ourselves, and our system, we will have a pretty
straightforward answer. All it needs`85is just an honest
answer. |
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Dilli
dilwalon ki
Delhiites were at their best behaviour during the Games Photos: AFP |
Ever
since the build-up to the recently concluded Commonwealth
Games started, there had been just embarrassments for the
organisers, the state government and even the Central
Government. Nobody expected the Games to be hassle-free.
In fact, many we are not sure that India will even pull it
off. But purely on the basis of surprising everyone so
pleasantly, the Games deserve a pat on the back. But the
host city, Delhi, deserves not just a pat, but rather a
standing ovation by the entire country.
Delhi
behaved itself to such an extent that everyone was left
looking for the right adjectives to describe the
extraordinary courtesy, civic sense and sense of
responsibility on display in the national capital. The
traffic was well managed, the tourists were safe and the
locals were not complaining of being overtly hassled. So
much so, even the notorious auto-rickshaw drivers, who are
known to flout norms and fleece/charge the customer off
their own will, refused to carry a passenger unwilling to
go by the meter. The streets were clean; people hesitated
from littering and were encouraging others to help keep
Delhi at its best. Even in areas like Chandni Chowk,
people could be seen carrying waste, looking for bins or
garbage dumping area, Delhi was clearly in no mood to get
any more dirt on its proud character.
Dilli
dilwalon ki slogan was taken to
heart. When the opening days registered low attendance,
and once again the global media started ridiculing our
attitude towards the Games, Delhiwaalas opened
their hearts, and wallets, bought tickets and thronged
various venues. So much so that the amount of noise being
generated by the filled-up stands became an issue.
There were no major
incidents reported of any misconduct with foreign or local
tourists as Delhi showed exactly why it takes so much
pride in being the national capital. The medals might have
all gone to the athletes, but Delhi deserves a special
trophy for making sure that we can say in unison, "We
saw it`85we were there." — VS |
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