The Olympics is about to start and the skeletons have been stumbling from the closet. Huh! What is the big deal here? The skeletons were already there in the closet. It is just that, now, they are falling down. Definitely, gravity is at fault.
The story is long, but let us begin from the Beijing Olympics 2008. Medals, honors, awards, rewards etc for the winners and a firm resolve to build upon the performance. Sounds pretty good! What about the doping charges? Well, we would have much stringent norms and rules from now on. And, yes, we are committed to bring non-cricket sports on par with the market-driven cricket which makes the nation go carzy. Not to forget, the point is, we have to beat China.
India hosted the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. What a proud moment! After the 1982 Asiad, in the new millennium, a total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies would compete in 21 sports and 272 events.
Everything was going good but the untimely rains in Delhi played havoc. Sadly, the three core values of Commonwealth movement - Humanity, Equality and Destiny - did not specify honesty and integrity. Hence, being true to the letter and spirit, the Commonwealth Games scam came up. Never mind, but for the rains, everything would have been alright. Monsoons rains are unpredictable.
Anyways, in the meantime, we won the World Cup in cricket. This meant, all the sports need support like cricket, and then only we could have such mighty victories. Point was noted!
We forgot some other trivial events which came up in this time period. There was this Sports Bill also which was being introduced to manage and regulate sports with a legislative sanction. But, some well meaning personalities could not agree to the RTI clause being applied to a cash-rich organization. After all, why regulate a cash-rich organization when they have the means to regulate themselves?
The Olympics are near. Where can we win medals? Tennis is definitely a chance. But, what about our leading female tennis player? Two accomplished tennis players want to pair with her. This is a case of women’s rights and we have to be serious now. There are complaints about a tennis player who does not have a pair of shoes? Leave it for a while. The female players’ mother would be the manager.
We are sending eight boxers this time who have trained in air-cooled training facilities. Also, our Hockey team has qualified this time. Surely, some medals are coming our way. Don’t forget the sharp shooters, ace archers, powerful weightlifters, agile swimmers etc. that we have in the team. They would make us proud. The government has invested so much in training them with all those imported coaches, scientific diets, standard kits etc. and that too seven-eight months in advance. Such a precise planning is praiseworthy!
Ohh! The Asian Games were forgotten. We won 14 Gold, 17 Silver and 33 Bronze medals. This was in 2010; just after the Commonwealth Games. Surely, an achievement it was.
Why the furore about this nondescript athlete who won Gold medals at three international events including the Asian Games? We gave her land and money and all the recognition. It helps to promote sports. But, for this gender test that they call as inhuman, the support that she got was enough. What human rights after awards and recognitions?
Apparently, some high-profile personality, who holds Sections 120 B and 420 (criminal conspiracy and cheating) under the Indian Penal Code, seeks approval to attend the Olympic Games in London. He is allowed (till a court intervenes); as bail is a rule and not an exception. We would make sure that he does not get any other benefits. Our resolution!
Disclaimer: The London Olympics would be the greenest Olympic Games till now; a clean flame and a lot more green things. Some red blot due to a sponsor and that too 28 years old, can be ignored. Come on, let us go green!
