Sight & Sound
Highs and lows at Athens
Amita Malik

Living through the Olympics fortnight was, I think, an enriching experience for all of us. To watch the cream of international youth in healthy competition, to watch the exultation of victory and the sadness of defeat, usually shorn of bitterness, was reward enough for the viewer. To see the setting where it all started — not only the Olympics all those years ago, but also the country which gave the world democracy, and some of the finest thinkers and philosophers of world history — was an ennobling as well as comforting thought. The Greek setting was a reminder of some of the finest values in civilisation.

If you were to ask me what I enjoyed the most — there were so many glorious moments — it would be difficult to make a choice. But I shall try. I loved the rapport between men and horses in the dressage events. One Swedish horse and rider were so close to each other that they seemed one. The noble horses seemed to be as conscious of what was required of them as their riders, as they seemed in perfect sync with the tempo and rhythm of music.

Next I enjoyed the swimming and diving events. Those lovely young bodies gliding through the water, and the quick turnarounds absolutely stunned one. They would hardly touch the end of the pool when they seemed almost half way back. The running events made one hold one’s breath. It was a joy to see the so-called Blacks, mostly representing White nations like the USA, and the runners from the Africa and the Arab world dominating events, and let’s not forget the Japanese and the Chinese. The marathon, with the tiny Japanese girl leading all the way from start to finish, is something one will not easily forget.

Of course there was the ugly side too: White referees were obviously biased against coloured players and teams. Most ugly for us were those four penalty corners in hockey — when India had at least drawn the match — so that the White team could win. Several countries, including the Koreans, lodged strong protests about being robbed of medals and points going in favour of the Americans, for whom all umpires and referees bended their knees. Some obvious fouls by the Germans and others were overlooked, while Dhanraj Pillay was given a yellow card 10 minutes before the close of play. The doping scandals, including India’s, which led to some gold medal winners from other countries having actually to return their medals, showed how far the menace has spread.

Among the funnier moments was when Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, on being asked by Rajdeep Sardesai what qualified his being there for 16 years, replied: "I played football in my school." And, K.P.S. Gill said: "I have been accused of being tough. I wish I had been. I am now really going to get autocratic." The smugness and arrogance of these moguls of our Olympic participation have to be seen and heard to be believed. No wonder our unfortunate participants — except for shooter Rathore, who had the Army behind him — had little support, leading to our sorry debacle.

And a word of comfort for Anju Bobby George. Our hearts bled for her because she had put in so much effort to get there. But she has nothing to be ashamed of. She did her best, bettered her own record with her first jump, and was up against such formidable competition that she did what she was capable of and should have no regrets. And a word for our women’s relay team: they showed what Indians are capable of, and how much better they could do if only Indian sport could be properly organised. Since politics had to come in a big way, one admired the superhuman effort of the Iraqi football team, which not only showed the courage and patriotism of a war-ravaged country but also protested loudly against the stupidity and insolence of President George Bush, who said they owed their performance to the freedom given to them by the USA.

In the midst of such spirit and the Olympic spirit in general, the melodrama of Uma Bharati showed up in all its pettiness. But one did regret that important news such as the fate of the hostages in Iraq took second place.