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How did you celebrate Neeraj Chopra's gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics? For us, it had to be done with a bit of music.
The Neeraj Chopra song was a reaction; a reaction from a group of individuals who at their core are true Indian sports fans. It’s as simple as that.
Imagine journalists, broadcasters and athletes from all generations, from all parts of the country, coming together and celebrating the unlikeliness of what we had witnessed that day. In that moment we felt pure joy, pride and a sense of hope for the future. And it really seemed like we were just echoing the sentiments of the country from that one room in a bio bubble.
Would those who know India well have ever thought this was even possible?
A sport other than cricket bringing the country together, and everyone being genuinely happy and hopeful again? Where was the cynic to burst the bubble?
Not that I consider myself a cynic, but after a week of celebrating the high of being on the Neeraj Chopra train, the high of India having its best Olympic showing in history with seven medals, it’s time for self-reflection. In typical “athlete” fashion, it’s time to consider the basics again so we can ride this wave to the best of our abilities.
Where do we stand, and how do we get better?
Before we dive deeper into this, let’s put all of it into perspective. Not long ago, Neeraj was just a young boy who got into athletics because he wanted to stay fit. What was he doing then, and how did the last few years unfold for this feat to have become possible?
In this regard I had a conversation with my good friend Mustafa Ghouse, the CEO of JSW sports, and the man who’s been around since the beginning. Ghouse said:
"Neeraj is one of those dream athletes to work with. He’s a natural talent, of course, but what sets him apart is his dedication, drive and single-minded focus on training. It is one of the most used cliches in sport, but Neeraj is an athlete that truly embodies the importance of ‘trusting the process’. He is obsessed with his sport and always open to learning or picking up new ways to improve himself."
Ghouse went on to add:
"Ever since we scouted him at JSW Sports, we've supported him with whatever he needs to be able to truly realize his potential. This has ranged from arranging foreign coaching stints and international competitions - including various Diamond League meets - to appointing a full-time physiotherapist and even managing his entire rehabilitation process at IIS after his elbow surgery in 2019."
When asked about their expectations going in, and what’s changed now, Ghouse said:
"I'd be lying if I said we were expecting a gold, but we were confident of Neeraj putting in a historic performance. Having said that, the amount of eyeballs and support this achievement has caused has been beyond our imagination. In a way, it has brought Neeraj and our organization into the spotlight, which is definitely good, but I think Indian sport will be benefited exponentially if even a small portion of this awareness and adulation can be sustained after the initial euphoria dies out.
He added:
"As an organization, our approach has always been to work towards helping India's athletes realize their true potential. That will not change; if anything Neeraj's (and Bajrang's) performances at Tokyo have only strengthened our resolve to continue doing what we're doing to help grow Indian sport."
Getting back to the basics
Perspective is one of the most important things that separates the good from the average, or the good from the great. When you first begin sports there are certain rules you learn very early, and you learn to never forget them.
1. Everyday is an opportunity to get better.
2. There are no shortcuts.
3. It’s not just about winning and losing, it’s about getting the process right.
There are probably a thousand more of these little truths you learn when you’re a young athlete. After being around some of the best coaches in the world, I have started to recognize the importance of instilling value-driven philosophies to their players/teams.
Take the above three points as an example. For any good coach, they would be considered basics. Now if we hold our athletes to such high standards, as we should, isn't it logical to do the same with our federations and national bodies?
The iron is now as hot as it's ever been; the time to strike is now. There will never be a better time. The gray areas of concern get clearer when you follow the basics and ask yourself the simple questions.
Being a cynic in this matter doesn’t mean you don’t like Indian sport. It just means that you've lived abroad in sporting countries for enough time, worked in enough varied systems and had enough novel experiences to know the difference between an established sporting culture and one that is only just emerging.
The reason it's important to point this out is simple. The change of the future doesn't lie in the hands of the athletes alone, although clearly it can be sparked by them. Rather, every stakeholder in Indian sport has a role to play here.
We need to ask ourselves the basic questions openly, and hold ourselves accountable to nothing but our best efforts. And that's easier said than done.
Can we make India’s Tokyo Olympics success truly count?
Before the Olympics, the athletes were looked at very closely. We studied all of them, their sports, their chances. And despite having far from ideal training conditions, they have delivered and how.
The attention has now turned to the bosses. It has turned to corporate India, the federations, the national associations, the sports authorities, the ministries, the leaders, and those with the power to make things happen.
Are we ready to make this count? Are we truly focused on the grassroots? Are we doing all the little things right? Are we doing things for the right reasons? What’s the vision for sports in our country, and are we doing everything to accomplish that vision? Could we be doing things better?
At the end of the day, what does the success of our athletes mean to the country?
National pride is fantastic. But after a certain point there has to be more than that, doesn’t there? What does national pride even mean beyond a point?
What the Indian Olympians of Tokyo2020 - especially Neeraj Chopra - have done, is priceless. That’s because apart from patting the back of old-fashioned pride, they have also suddenly opened up the imagination of over a billion people.
What does this mean? How will it translate into tangible results?
All we can assume for now is that on 7 August, after that historic throw, millions of new dreams were born. Those dreams didn’t exist before the 87.58.
And don’t we all know that you can never underestimate the power of dreams. Let’s just say that India now has a “golden” opportunity.
To those in charge:
It’s your turn now. Let’s make this count!
