This edition of the Asian Athletic Championship was indeed a memorable one for India. The country recorded their best ever medals tally that ensured a maiden top-of-the-table finish ahead of the likes of China and Kazakhstan. Indeed, the Indian athletes performed exceptionally well over the four-day meet in Bhubaneswar.
This had the Indian fans going gaga on Twitter and raving about how the country had finished ahead of China. Here is how the Indians celebrated the achievement on the micro-blogging site:
And why not? The country’s athletes had toiled through the hot, humid weather and got the better of top international athletes.
Right.
Top International athletes.
No, afraid to break your heart, but India are not ahead of China in athletics
What everyone seems to be missing is the fact that countries like China, Japan, Bahrain and Qatar did not even send their best athletes. And this is not a new feature of the biennial meet. Being held in the same year as the World Championship, many of the top athletes give the Asian Athletics Championship a miss.
Consequently, the level of competition is affected. Moreover, Bhubaneswar’s extreme climate, especially in the summer, is a bane for the athletes.
The quality of competition had gone down so much that this edition saw only one meet record being broken. Neeraj Chopra, of course, broke the Y Murakami’s record for the longest javelin throw among men in the history of the meet.
If at least the participation would have been better, the gold medals India had bagged in events like men’s 4x400m relay races, men's 5000m and 1000m, women's 3000m steeplechase and in 1500m (both men and women) would have been a lot more difficult.
Gong Lijiao of China, the Asian leader and world number four shot putter, skipped the Asian meet in order to prepare for the World Championships that begin next month in London. One country’s loss is another country’s gain. India’s Manpreet Kaur (personal best 18.86m) went on to bag the gold with an effort of 18.28m. To put things in perspective, Gong’s personal best stands at 19.56m.
Likewise, Qatar's Asian leader Abdalelah Haroun not taking part in the men’s 400m made it easier for India’s Mohammed Anas. With Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet, the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion not taking part, Sudha Singh easily claimed the gold in women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Bahrain, in fact, decided to pull out of the meet completely. Bahrain’s African imports would have been very competitive in middle and long distance races.
Apart from that, none of the Qatari athletes, barring one on the opening day, took part in any of the events. Japan, as well, turned away from sending their top guns. Japan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the heavyweights in 4x400m relay race, did not even take part as India went on to claim the gold.
The lack of the top stars does take the sheen off India’s achievement, doesn’t it? For India, this edition of the Asian Athletics Championship, although a memorable one, was definitely not a significant one.
What matters is how India does at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games
The World Championships in Athletics will be held in London in about a month’s time from now. All of the top international athletes are presently undergoing rigorous training programmes so as to prepare for the biennial event. The Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, on the other hand, are scheduled to be held in April and September next year, respectively.
It will be interesting to see whether or not India will be able to replicate their achievements in the upcoming meets. Okay, the World Championships is still some distance away but when India will finish amongst the top three of either the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games, then we will have something to cheer about. That is where the real test lies.
This article is not meant to belittle to efforts of the Indian athletes at the Asian Championships. I am certain, all of them gave their heart and soul into their performances and gave their very best. And they should get the credit they deserve. But the fans need to understand that it is not a cause for such celebrations. Tone down a bit, appreciate the efforts of the government for organising a top-class event. The upcoming events will give a clearer picture as to where India stand in athletics.
