Let Olympic prep follow own course
Only a handful of sports events have been conducted in the country in the last few months because of the pandemic. But there have been numerous meetings between stakeholders and various parties to evaluate Olympic preparations. The news of a Parliamentary committee summoning some national sports federations to review their progress last week was bewildering. Yes, the sports ministry has started training camps for elite athletes who have qualified or are on the verge of qualifying for Tokyo 2021. But because of restrictions on using gymnasiums and clamps on close contacts, various sports have not begun full-fledged practice.
Amidst all this, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development held a meeting with the sports ministry, Sports Authority of India and five national federations—shooting, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and hockey. Committee chief Vinay Sahasrabuddhe elucidated its role and scope succinctly. “Our agenda is limited to evaluating the preparedness in general and then giving some recommendations for immediate action to the ministry when we finalise our report.”
However, certain perplexing questions remain. With just about nine months left for the Olympics, will the panel achieve its desired goal? Preparation schedules cannot be altered at this stage. Sports development is a long-term process, something that yields results after years of hard work. Identifying and nurturing talent is a part of the process. The learned panel must be aware of this. Another question is, if the panel recommends something, will the sports ministry have the time to implement it? Last week, just the sports ministry and SAI could discuss plans. Federations could have been called later on.
Perhaps, federations of sports in which Indians have qualified for the Olympics will be called next. This will consume more time. If there is a long-term plan looking ahead to the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, such meetings make sense. But having one just months before the 2021 Olympics is baffling. Until the panel gets down to action quickly, evaluating and recommending measures to fine-tune preparations would sound like Macbethian words. “It is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing”.