Opinion Sports proof of a country’s robustness

Let’s look at Olympics statistics today. Among participating countries since 1896 that continue to be the Top Six medal winners are US (2,652 medals,boycotted 1980 Games),Germany (1,143 medals,did not participate in 1920,1924,1948,1980),Great Britain (780),France (765) and Italy (656,missed 1904 Games) and Sweden (612). Entering from 1952,China is already on the seventh position with 517 medals,without participating in 1956 and 1980. Hungary is eighth (482 medals,missed 1920 and 1984) and Australia ninth with 476 medals. Japan,joined in 1912,has the tenth position with 435 medals but missed the 1948 and 1980 Games.

Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime placed huge importance on body fitness as a prerequisite for military service,and promoted it as “Aryan” racial superiority. Hosting the 1936 Olympics in Berlin,Hitler wanted to ban Blacks and Jews from the Games. When other countries threatened boycott,he relented. As a token,he allowed half-Jew Helene Mayer to participate from Germany. Hitler camouflaged his racist policies against Jews,gypsies,homosexuals,political opponents and the disabled by removing signs like “Jews not wanted” from the city’s tourist attractions. With $7 million,filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl filmed Olympia to build a false image of a peaceful Germany.

In my 20th century events archive is an American journalist recounting Hitler’s riveting opening ceremony speech at Berlin. The dictator’s commanding sway had people of other nations also raise their hands acknowledging “Heil Hitler”. This journalist had to clench his hands in his pocket to control them from rising in salutation to Hitler’s compelling Nazi force. Hitler’s misuse of power is a black mark in the history of the Olympics.

China gives high priority to sports too. Initially mass sports was endorsed to “build healthy citizens” for national defence,but the focus soon shifted to creating well-trained athletes for international games. The 2008 Beijing Olympics emphasised China’s rise. Investing heavily to build a dominant Olympics team,China came second in 2012 with 88 medals.

India won two medals on entering Olympics in 1900 with lone participant,India-born Englishman Norman Pritchard. From 1920,India participated in all the Olympics. The medal tally to-date is just 26. In the just concluded London Olympics,India ranks last in medals per capita as compiled by Robert Metzler,reported in uinterview.com. According to India’s Sports Minister,India cannot expect to win more medals when the country has a poor Human Development Index (HDI) and low Per Capita Income. But when it comes to cricket,India is the reigning world champion. So obviously the country can perform,but what’s the problem in performing in Olympics?

Even developing countries like Ethiopia,Jamaica,Kenya and Uganda have achieved outstanding Olympics records. In India’s route to globalisation,sports can play an important role to establish country superiority. Our education follows rote learning,at least sports can develop individual and team ingenuity in the global arena. The country’s schools,public and village playgrounds are full of budding talent. But India still lacks basic sports facilities to develop top-notch athletes. What about the problem of corruption? Several athletes have complained about officials fixing match results,bribing players,selecting national teams based on ethnicity. Most sports administration heads are politicians or bureaucrats. We saw cost overruns,graft investigations and construction delays even when Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The Government has announced a Rs 500-crore National Institute of Sports Sciences with world-class coach- ing centres. India wants to rope in private foundations like Olympic Gold Quest and Mittal Champions Trust,the corporate sector and sports-persons for management of sports. May we hope for some positive action in future?

Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top management. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com