At Busan this year, India ran its most successful lap on the track away from home. The 13 medals, courtesy our runners, throwers and jumpers in October at Asiad after the Indian August at Manchester Commonwealth Games made it a memorable year for our athletes. The tally of medals, including six gold, had no precedent in the history of Indian athletics at this level.For many, this came as a bolt from the blue. India’s charge was led by the 27-year-old Beenamol, who finished with two gold and a silver. But sadly, despite the free-flow of feel-good stories, it was the double medallist middle-distance runner Sunita Rani’s positive dope test that attracted all attention. It’s a different story that in the coming months Sunita is on the verge of getting back her medals owing to the discrepancies detected in the test reports from the Seoul laboratory.Going back to the field, India’s performance has made everyone, including the mighty Chinese, sit up and wonder about India’s all-round strength. But if one is to believe the star performer, this is just the beginning. After setting the field ablaze at Busan, Beenamol promised to bring more laurels to the country in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. She said: ‘‘I have worked really hard in the last four years. But I have to continue in the same vein to be successful in future events.’’ Almost all athletes, who returned from Busan, echoed a similar thought. This really augurs well for Indian athletics.
