The author says that as far as sports is concerned; India is in the minor league. And that over the years there has been
no improvement in our sporting record. In fact, since 1964 India has only won a solitary gold in the Olympics! There have been a few exceptions to this rule – Prakash Padukone (badminton), Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (tennis doubles), R.S. Rathore (shooting) and Vishwanathan Anand (chess).
The author does not explore the reasons behind India’s poor performances, besides pointing a finger at the mismanagement of sports and highlighting the lack of a physical culture (in spite of the fact that the discipline of Yoga has its origins in this country). What he does suggest is that India’s sportsmen may be trapped in a vicious cycle – lacking international recognition (and performance), they fail to find the sponsors and sponsorship needed to hone their skills. This is somewhat surprising, given the strength of the Indian economy.
India is desperate for sporting heroes. The reason that India’s cricketers (and not its hockey or football players) are so popular is that they have consistently done well enough to remain competitive on the world arena. To India’s middle class, this is a matter of esteem – and a vindication of their self worth. The author feels that our other athletes and sportsmen (in general) lack the money and the attention needed to turn them into household names.
Perhaps the cruelest cut is that – except our cricketers - India’s sporting champions are at best a group of semi successful people...