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Journalism of Courage
Some decisions are so forward-thinking,they8217;re best left to the future.
So goes with Athletics Federation of India8217;s call limiting Indian track and field Olympics entries to those who qualify with an 8216;A8217; standard. 8 of the 14 travelling to London,clung to the bare minimum 8216;B8217; standard,some returning with non-descript results.
This well-meaning shifting of goal-posts is pre-mature and should be deferred to the future when India actually starts teeming with talent,where selectors are faced with that delicious headache weighing two candidates; their trained eye summoned to pick the better bet. A squad of 14 needs no trimming.
It8217;s all well to have an elitist approach. But are we an elite nation a Jamaica,Kenya or USA? We8217;re not even Australia,who after much debating agreed to accomodate 8216;B8217;-athletes. Independent India8217;s never won an athletics medal. So a medal-or-nothing criterion,suits a sport like shooting. Athletics a polite not now,maybe later.
For,experience of the big stage can be all-important. Our recent medallists are mostly second-time Olympians. Ask Ronjan Sodhi or Deepika Kumari how different their results would be had this been their second turn.
AFI8217;s Adille Sumariwala insists there8217;s no funding crunch,which forced the pruning in Australia. Also,in Tintu Luka there8217;s one example of an athlete who made her 8216;B8217; standard count. Trinidadian Keshorn Walcott won the javelin gold after qualifying under a 8216;B8217; standard!
Finally,would I,a tax-payer,be embarrassed watching an Indian come 78th in an Olympic marathon? Nope.
In a country of a billion,no one else had even managed to qualify for the marathon in the last 30 years,before Ram Singh Yadav chomped away at the 42 kms with his 8216;B8217; standard. To B or not to be is best left to sedentary existentialists. Not modest athletic nations.
Shivani is a Special Correspondent,based in Mumbai.,shivani.naikexpressindia.com
