Should India go gaga over a single Olympic bronze?

GN Bureau | July 31, 2012



For a nation of more than one billion people, which has sent in 83 sportsmen in the 2012 London Summer Olympics, the country’s largest contingent in the games so far, to participate in 13 disciplines, a humble bronze on the fourth day of the sporting games is no feat. A gold missed in the poor performance of Abhinav Bindra, the Beijing gold winner, is a bigger loss. At present, India is 27th in the medal tally and shares that spot with ten others. Countrys like Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Romania, Georgia, Hungary, Ukraine and Chinese Taipei are ahead of India in the medal tally. This when a total of Rs 258 crore were spent on the preparation of sportspersons for the games (according to an announcement made by sport minister Ajay Maken in March 2011).  Out of this amount, Rs 20 crore were to spent on hiring foreign coaches. The sports ministry had launched a project called ‘operation excellence for London Olympics 2012’ (OPEX 2012).

Do you think we should really go gaga over a bronze?

Comments

 

Other News

India’s freedom struggle was shaped by wider Asian political thought

As we mark 80th anniversary of independence, ‘Asianism and the Fall of Empire’ (HarperCollins India) by historian Mithi Mukherjee offers a new perspective on Ind

What is colonialism? A relook at modern history

The Chromatic World Order: The Fiction That Rules Our World  By Sajid Mohamed Aakar Books  

Monsoon session of parliament adjourns sine die

The Monsoon Session, 2026 of Parliament which commenced on July 20 was adjourned sine die on Thursday. The session provided 19 sittings spread over a period of 25 days.   During the session 11 Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha and 2 Bills were introduced in Rajya Sabha. 12 B

Consumer Justice at a Crossroads

Over the past four decades, India`s consumer protection landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation. What began with the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 as a simple mechanism to empower ordinary citizens has evolved into a comprehensive framework capable of addressing challenges ranging from mislea

Doctors, experts call for ban on junk food ads, mandate warning labels

More than 30 doctors, medical scientists and public health professionals have urged the government to take decisive action against the aggressive advertising and marketing of junk food, calling for a watershed ban on advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPF

Asiatic Lion population rises from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025

On World Lion Day 2026, environment, forest and climate change Minister  Bhupender Yadav celebrated India’s remarkable journey in lion conservation and reaffirmed the country’s unwavering commitment to protecting wildlife and biodiversity.   In a post on soc

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter