Indian hockey revived after brilliant exploits by men and women: Mission Gold author

The Indian women’s hockey team has qualified for a historic semi-final in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, just a day after the men’s team reached the same landmark after 49 years. The latter had suffered a defeat in the quarterfinals in Rio 2016, with many assuming a similar fate in this edition as well. However, the surge for a much-coveted gold medal continues across frontiers, with fans back home eager to witness massive milestones being scripted.

The Indian medal tally in Tokyo has already surpassed the one recorded in Rio. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has achieved the highest honour so far, after winning a silver medal in the 49kg category. Shuttler PV Sindhu has become the first Indian woman to win two individual Olympic medals, after winning a bronze. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain has similarly assured a medal, following her impressive performances.

However, the agonising wait for a gold medal that has eluded India since Abhinav Bindra’s exploits in the 2008 Bejing Olympics continues. Sudipta Biswas has attempted to cover India’s fascination for the elusive medal, and the quest for supremacy over the years through his book: ‘Mission Gold: India’s Quest for Olympic Glory’.

The book is about the history of Olympics from the Indian perspective, forgotten heroes, pandemics and the way forward for India. Most importantly, it is about the nation’s quest for Olympic glory.

Biswas has painstakingly attempted to present an insightful and informative book, with some unique aspects. Here are some excerpts from the exclusive interaction with sportslumo.com:

1) What is the significance of Indian hockey’s heroics in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics?

India women’s triumph against Australia to reach a historic semi-final can certainly be termed as a great achievement. Qualifying for the semi-finals in Tokyo is of greater significance than reaching the same landmark in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, as the latter witnessed limited participation of top teams in comparison. The men’s team holds the ability to emulate the heroics in Moscow by winning a gold medal, having delivered some fine performances so far. However, they will have to be wary against Belgium having failed to defeat the European Giants in encounters over the last nine years. However, what cannot be denied is the fact that Indian hockey is showing signs of redemption. We must give credit to the Odisha government for the same.

2) Can Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain lead the Indian challenge, as Mary Kom bows out having played her final Olympics?

You never know. Mary Kom is such a legend of boxing that she is only the second boxer in the world after Felix Savon of Cuba to win six World Championship gold medals. Mary is the only female to achieve the feat. It’s not only about talent, skills or stamina, the same is also about the passion, tenacity and determination to keep going hard. The legendary boxer has been doing it since she started training for the sport.

Talking about Lovlina, she is just 23. This is the right time for any boxer to announce her arrival at the international arena. She is already assured of a medal at the Olympics due to the rule that amateur boxing has in place. She now stands a chance to win a silver or gold. If Lovlina does that, she will become the next phenomenon in Indian sports. The boxer has several years left to achieve so many laurels. She idolises Mary Kom. However, the comparison is not good, not feasible either. Both are different when it comes to their style of play or their weight category. But one thing is sure, Lovlina is made for big things. Her exploits at the Tokyo Olympics made a big statement of her calibre. She will travel a long distance if she continues to be fearless at the ring.

Mirabai Chanu’s silver is a massive achievement for the weightlifter. At the same time, her achievement is a testimony to Manipur’s sustainable sports culture. She is a product of that. Mirabai idolises Kunjarani Devi who started lifting the iron in the 1980s. It’s the same about PV Sindhu as well. She has the determination, skills, temperament and calibre to achieve glory in a medal bereft country. However, like Mirabai, Sindhu is also a product of a culture. The shuttler hails from Hyderabad that has a robust badminton culture, which started shaping in the early 1970s.

3) Can you elaborate on the sporting culture in the North-Eastern states of India, which has resulted in quality talents being churned out?

The physical hardships that they endure during childhood play a role in making them fit for sports. Sports come naturally to them. It’s a community culture. You will find neighbourhood sports clubs everywhere in any village, city or town. Apart from mainstream sports, there are several traditional sports that have been an integral part of the cultural ecosystem. Even during the festivals, you will find local youths participating in indigenous forms of sports. Though they have basic infrastructure and most of them are city-based, still, they managed to come up with their best. Take for example Manipur, a state of 28 lakh people. The state gifted India multiple champion athletes in football, hockey, boxing, archery and weightlifting over the decades. This is a result of the culture.

The sports activities in Manipur at the grassroots level are strong. The state’s culture needs to be analysed by the Government of India. Once a state starts cherishing sports, there will be thousands of top athletes. We must learn and progress.

4) Having covered India’s journey in the Olympics extensively, are there any interesting coincidences that you witnessed in Tokyo 2020 in comparison to previous editions?

This is the 100th year of India’s participation in the Olympic Games. Everyone says, including International Olympic Committee, that India first participated at the Games in 1900 Paris Games. But historians failed to come to a consensus when it comes to agreeing on IOC’s claim that Norman Pritchard represented British India. Many historians say that the Calcutta borne sprinter refused to represent India. He instead represented Great Britain. So, whether his two silver medals at the Paris Games belong to India or Great Britain, there is still disagreement regarding that. But IOC acknowledges his silvers as India’s till today.

Keeping aside that controversy, in 1920 two years after Spanish flu killed millions of people across the world, a few Indian businessmen like Dorabji Tata, a London educated son of Jamsetji Tata, understood that Indians need to participate in the Olympics to promote sports among the youth. His time in London made him aware of the value of sports in bringing social and cultural change, so he took the lead to send an Indian contingent to Antwerp Olympics in Belgium. This was the first time an Olympic contingent comprised native Indians, and the initiatives were taken by the Indians. So from that perspective, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is the 100th year of India’s participation at the Olympic Games. And like the 1920 Games, Tokyo 2020 is also being played in the backdrop of a pandemic. This connected these two editions of the Olympics a hundred years apart.

5) The name of the book is Mission Gold: India’s Quest for Olympic Glory. What are the lessons that we can learn from the Tokyo 2020 campaign so that a gold medal becomes more of an eventuality?

At Olympics, for any athlete, the ultimate goal is to win the Gold medal and that’s why this is the title for my maiden book. I found this title apt for the book for various reasons.

What we have learned is that at the Olympics, previous performances at international events hold little significance. Failure of our shooters, boxers and archers has proved this once again. But at the same time, this Olympics helped us understand that only spending money on training and competitions of our athletes will not bring medals from the biggest sporting spectacle of the world. Succeeding at the Olympics is completely a different ball game than winning gold medals World Cups.

In India, the Olympic culture or the Olympism is still at the primary stage. We have been unable to decode the mantra of being successful at the Games. To be successful, we need coordination among all the stakeholders. From athletes, officials to coaches, trainers, physicians, psychologists to technology. India still lacks many things. Financial security is important for any athlete which the nation failed to ensure. See how upset we are with shooters’ failure. Our shooters, some of them in their teens now, went to the Olympics taking the weight of 1.4 billion people on their shoulders.

As they failed all, mostly seasonal fans, started criticising them. Shooters were equally disappointed with their performances. Performance pressure sometimes prevents athletes from giving their best. This unprecedented pressure was missing when they were competing at the World Cups. See how the US hailed gymnast Simone Biles for withdrawing herself from the Olympics due to her mental health. On the other hand in India, people are bullying our shooters and athletes for failing. Excellence comes with time and good intent. In India, we lack both. Sports is about enjoying and absorbing pressure. But when it comes to performing at the Olympics, Indian athletes with little success to their predecessors’ credit are uncertain and afraid of their fate.

It would be better if we stop seeing everything through the prism of cricket because Indian cricket has reached its pinnacle whereas India’s campaign at the Olympics has not. So expecting something mind-blowing like a medal in double figures right now from the Indian contingent doesn’t look practical. Success will come once fans become aware of Olympic sports, they start cherishing athletes’ success when they play at international events. If fans engage, officials will have to act by maintaining transparency. Support only during the Olympics will only amplify the pressure on our athletes. That is what is happening now.

6) Can we expect to see Sumit Nagal and Bhavani Devi lead the Indian campaign in the coming years in Tennis and Fencing respectively?

I am not sure how many people were aware of Fencing in India. It must have taken many people by surprise. Kudos to Bhavani Devi, she made it popular now. There will be many more girls who will come forward to start fencing now, idolising her. An icon can inspire hundreds of budding fencers. But for the sport to grow it needs immense support from the government. If the government can ride on the momentum created by Bhavani Devi, then fencing will have a chance to grow. Otherwise, it will be just an out of the blue moment for India.

Sumit Nagal needs a huge amount of money to succeed in the international arena. A tennis player has to arrange almost INR 1 crore a year to survive in a calendar year which is very difficult. But until the success comes, nobody comes forward. Nagal now needs the support of both government and corporate sectors. If he gets that, he may succeed. Otherwise, the chances of doing well are bleak.

7) Do you believe the rules of boxing need to be made easier to understand and more transparent in nature, considering the wave of confusion after Mary Kom’s exit?

I think there is a need to overhaul the existing point system. Even though the bouts at Tokyo Olympics are broadcasted live, we do not get to know who actually wins until the judges take a call. Most of the time, we see both the boxers celebrating which creates further confusion. Later the boxer finishing second best vents anger on the judges. Mary Kom won two rounds, then how can she lose the bout?

Judges determining the winner reduces the intensity of boxing matches. Why do we have to wait for the judges’ call? It is very confusing. Why there is no point system on the basis of punches hit on the nose or face in general?

Both Ingrit Valencia and Mary Kom celebrated even after the judges announced their verdicts. When players don’t understand this system, how can viewers? Sports are meant for pleasure for the commons. Why are the officials making it difficult to understand? I think the absence of the International Boxing Association, which has been suspended by IOC, also added to this confusion.

8) Do world rankings really count as much in Olympics considering the upsets we have witnessed in Tokyo?

At least the Tokyo Olympics shows that ranking do not matter. The reason why everyone is talking about ranking is that India’s five top prospects- boxer Amit Panghal, shooters Yashaswini Deswal, Elvavenil Valavarivan, Abhishek Verma and archer Deepika Kumari failed to win any medal.

The fact is that the current ranking of athletes is based on points earned in the last two years. Now during the pandemic, many athletes could not compete. So, they came to Tokyo unranked. That doesn’t mean they are not good. When they came to Tokyo for the Games, they took the No.1s by surprise. That happened to Panghal. He lost to Yuberjen Martinez who was unranked but won the silver in Rio Olympics.

One more factor that went against the No 1s is that there was a huge pressure of expectations on them. In India, people think the top-ranked prospects must bring the gold medal from the Olympics. Anything less than that is not acceptable. I heard many sports officials urging our athletes not to take pressure. My question is why the issue of pressure should be discussed with athletes just before the biggest sporting show.

I feel that this pressure was created because of external matters. Huge expectations and the top rank played on their minds, so all of them disappointed us. The absence of psychologists and not having personal coaches during big events also made athletes struggle. Many Indian athletes didn’t have their personal coaches by their side for some unknown reason. There are many external factors that need to be taken care of.

Failures at Tokyo 2020 are lessons for us. The concerned authorities should note and work on them to ensure that these mistakes don’t repeat at the Paris Olympics in 2024.