Journey from Beijing to London indicates a better Olympic future for India

In the build up to London Olympics, it looked like that it would be their best Olympic Games for India ever. But then India started off their campaign on a sad note and the high profile Indian archery team made an early exit, Abhinav Bindra failed to qualify for the finals and Indian hockey as usual started with a loss, making it seem like bettering the Beijing performance would be a myth.

But then Gagan Narang broke the shackles and won India its first medal at the 10 m air rifle event. Thereafter, India made a slow but steady progress and doubled its medal haul from Beijing. Though it was nowhere close to the meadl tally of top sporting nations, nevertheless, it was commendable.

Even though India saw some upsets like Ronjan Sodhi, Abhinav Bindra, Deepika Kumari to name a few, the medal tally at London does indicate at the times to come. India never was a force to reckon to when it came to Olympics, but then this might well be the start.

From 1952 to 1996, India failed to win an individual medal at Olympics and it was Leander Paes who broke the jinx by winning a bronze at Atlanta. Following that, India returned with medal in every edition. The achievements at Beijing Olympics, where they won three individual medals including a gold, did instill a sense of optimism in India and the country started to take Olympic sports rather seriously.

Prior to Beijing, India entered the Olympic arena just for the sake of participation and no one even expected much from the athletes. But then that outlook has changed and it was all due to the achievements at Beijing Olympics. India entered London to win and the result shows that. It might not be that great as compared to other nations but then it is a start.  There always was a social stigma engulfing the Indians about taking to Olympic sport but then it has been erased. Seeds of this self confidence were sown back in 2004 with the silver medal win by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and this Olympic might very well see a new sporting India arise.

Performance in Beijing also made the corporate to come forward and lend their support to the athletes. Private bodies like Mittals Champions Trust and Olympic Gold Quest are working efficiently to make the country a sporting nation. If Beijing created an opening, London surely has taken few paces in order to bridge the gap and in coming Olympics in Rio, a lot can be expected from the Indian athletes.

Indian medallist at London:

Sushil Kumar (silver in wrestling), Vijay Kumar (silver in shooting), Gagan Narang (bronze in shooting), Mary Kom (bronze in boxing), Saina Nehwal (bronze in badminton) and Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze in wrestling)

Koevarmans names final squad for Nehru Cup

“I’m confident in the abilities of my boys,” Koevermans stressed. “The practice sessions have been good. It’s nice to see the boys pushing each other,” he added.
The final list of 20 also includes two India U-22 boys – Alwyn George and Manandeep Singh, who did duty at the AFC U-22 Championship in Muscat. “It’s a dream come true for me,” Alwyn maintained. “The Camp sessions have been an education for me and I’m maturing fast as a player,” he added.
Manandeep who had made his Senior India debut earlier this year said” “This is a new challenge for me. As a player, one needs to flexible to adjust yourself in different situations. I’m trying my best and learning at every step.”
Defending Champions India take on Syria in the opening match of the Tournament on August 22 at 7 pm.
The 20-member list stays as follows:
Goalkeepers: Subrata Pal, Subhasish Roychowdhury, Karanjeet Singh.
Defenders: Nirmal Chhetri, Denzil Franco, Gourmangi Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Raju Gaikwad, Syed Rahim Nabi.
Midfielders: Lenny Rodrigues, Mehtab Hossain, Jewel Raja, Francis Fernandes, Alwyn George, Anthony Pereira, Sanju Pradhan, Clifford Miranda.
Forwards: Robin Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Manandeep Singh.

International Training for Luka

"The state government is willing to sponsor the cost of international training to Mayookha Johnny, Tintu Luka and K.T. Irfan. They can do their training in any country they desire," said Kerala Sports Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar.
Kumar arrived from London after witnessing a few events in which the Kerala athletes took part.
"The athletes, their coaches and their family have to take a decision. We have made our stand clear and we wish to hear what they have to say to our offer," Kumar said.
Johnny did not get past the heats in the triple jump, while Luka went out in the 800 metres semi-final and Irfan finished 10th in the 20km walk.
"Once they agree to our proposal, we will set up an experts committee to decide upon the country that our athletes should go to," added Kumar.