In a glittering ceremony on Sunday, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach declared the Paris Summer Games closed. The flame was extinguished and the flag handed over to the Los Angeles 2028 team. There were no surprises in the top two slots on the medals tally. Like in Tokyo, the US claimed the top spot after edging out China in the last event on the final day—women’s basketball. Both ended with 40 gold medals but the US’s overall count was 126, while China had 91. India finished 71st, lower than the 48th in Tokyo. It was not a performance to be celebrated.
The number of medals went down from seven to six. In Tokyo, India had secured one gold, two silver and four bronze medals. We returned from Paris with one silver and five bronze. Even if Vinesh Phogat had been allowed to fight the final, the tally would at best have matched Tokyo’s. Then there were six fourth-place finishes. India would have reached the coveted double-digit mark had they converted some of those heartbreaks into medals. But we cannot dwell on ifs and buts. Success on the sporting field is measured in results; there is no place for suppositions.
To put it bluntly, India were not consistent enough. If we are satisfied with this, we will not even reach six in LA 2028. This time, the athletes cannot say they were not supported enough. Technical support has increased over the years. Prakash Padukone said the players cannot give excuses, they need to take responsibility. Though curt, his observation made sense.
The sports ministry is funding athletes. The national federations, who are drawing up their annual training and competition calendars, are chipping in too; as are some NGOs.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) needs to take a fresh look at its Target Olympic Podium Scheme. The Mission Olympic Cell should also take as much responsibility as SAI and the national federations. They must overhaul their junior programmes, because there is a big gap between the elite athletes and the rest. All stakeholders must come together and find a way to consistently win medals.
Else, forget hosting—even bidding for the 2036 Olympics would be a pointless exercise. Ultimately, India must grow as a sporting power. For that to happen, the biggest boost would be winning more medals.
