Youth welfare Scheme
The Youth Olympic Games, where one can get a glimpse of the future, has begun. The next 12 days could be life-changing for 47 Indian teenagers competing in the quadrennial event in Buenos Aires. The show they put up will indicate how far the country has advanced at the youth level.
With the recent shift in culture to catch and invest in talent when they are young, there are expectations. Early signs have been encouraging. A number of Indian youngsters did well at the world level in the last two years. Sprinter Hima Das, shooter Manu Bhaker are examples. Hima isn’t there at Buenos Aires, but the performance of those who are there will be followed and dissected. Medals will be celebrated.
Some familiar names carrying high hopes on their shoulders are shooters Manu, Saurabh Chaudhary and shuttler Lakshya Sen. Having already stood toe-to-toe with some of the best in the business, the trio is among a few with the potential to return with a medal around their neck.
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Shooting coach Deepali Deshpande, who has played a role in shaping the aforementioned culture, is confident Manu and Saurabh will give a tough test to their rivals. “After so many international meets this year and much higher competition, the YOG should be comparatively easier. I don’t think the pressure will matter to them. We just need to see what kind of competition the rest are going to put up. I’m sure they will make it to the finals.”
Deepali is encouraged by the influx of youth and change in attitude, but she also has a word of caution. The Olympian feels the outcome (good or bad) in Argentina, where a total of 3,998 athletes will be in action, should only be treated as a starting point. “It’s coming up very well, due to the changed mindset of people around. In the past, it used to happen out of individual interest. When a particular individual happened, he/she used to work for himself/herself. But now we see a system-generated progress. There’s more to be done and we have to tread carefully. We cannot be short-sighted. Winning junior medals is not going to ensure Olympic medals.”
A medal at this event can be a massive fillip for youngsters, not only on the field but also off the field. Take the case of badminton player HS Prannoy, who had won a silver in the 2010 edition. “For me, it was great because it was one of the few tournaments we could play at the time. It came at the right moment for me. To go there and win a silver made a huge difference to my career. So many things started to fall in place after that medal,” the World No 15 recalled. “Had I not won the silver, I’m sure the next couple of years would have been a lot tougher for me. To get sponsorship was really tough at that time,” the 26-year-old added.
But doing well in this does not guarantee sponsorship. Weightlifter Ragala Venkat Rahul, who won a silver medal in the previous edition at Nanjing, was not as fortunate when it came to recognition and money. “It was my dream to win a medal. I had worked hard for it. I needed the experience too. The competition was tough,” he recalled. “But I got no felicitation or anything. I felt sad then. Despite being the first lifter to win a medal, there was no acknowledgement.”
It was only last year that the Guntur lad managed some prize money after winning gold in the Commonwealth Championships. Earlier this year, he also won gold at the Commonwealth Games. Now 22, his career graph indicates he is headed in the right direction. Just like Prannoy and Ragala, there are several like Shiva Thapa, Vikas Krishan and Yuki Bhambri who made an early mark in this event and carried on to make bigger hits at the senior level.
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In a bid to provide a sense of direction to the young minds, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had organised a preparatory session a few days before their journey. Some top experts, including Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh, were called upon to hand them that much-needed kick. A sports psychologist and nutritionist provided their inputs. Vijender’s message was simple. “I just told them to enjoy the moment. Get the feeling of being in the Olympics.
The weather is also nice there. It should be a great experience for the youngsters,” Vijender, a professional middleweight champ now, said. Like Deepali, Vijender is also delighted to see the rise of youngsters. “Everything will take time. They are doing well nowadays. But we should not be content with that. The reality is there are nations like China and US who are far ahead of us in the Olympics,” the 32-year-old added.
Jyoti Gulia, the lone boxer in the contingent, has her guard on. “I will only get excited if I manage to win gold. I have done my part in the build-up to this event. I have trained well. Let’s see how it goes,” said the Haryana boxer, who competes in the 51kg category. Like Jyoti, Bharath Pereira will be India’s lone athlete in sports climbing, a discipline which is yet to appeal to the masses in the country. The Karnataka boy is looking to change that. “I’m really excited. Climbing isn’t a mainstream sport in India, not many are aware of it. Hopefully, it will change now because it’ll be at the Olympic stage,” he said.
There might be inadequate facilities and support, but Bharath has more than enough drive. “The Karnataka government has helped a lot. Although the infrastructure is inadequate, they tried to provide as much as possible. I’ll be participating with an open mind, without any expectations. I’m going to have fun when I climb because that’s when I perform my best.” With a mind and hunger to succeed, it won’t be a surprise if Indians come back with a few medals. The real game, as they say, will start after that.