In an utopian world, India would have topped the Olympic medal tally chart at the Rio Olympics and would already be ready for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. In here, India would have had a strong sporting culture that would produce champion after champion. Say an Usain Bolt or a Michael Phelps. Not just the never-aging Mahendra Singh Dhoni or an over-aging Rohit Sharma. The former like a perfect brand ambassador for some ever-youth product is aging like wine. Though on the ground he looks a little slow, there are coaches who blame it on new slow-mo technology on TV than the limbs. In this imaginary world, anything is possible.
IOA world
In the utopian world of the Indian Olympic Association, former president N Ramachandran and the newly-elected Narinder Batra would have hugged and accepted his extended tenure. There wouldn’t have been a power tussle. Batra and his faction backed by former IOA secretary general Lalit Bhanot would have got accustomed to the masala dosa and agreed to solve the crisis over filter coffee. But alas, that was not to be.
Instead, the so-called North lobby preferred to host the annual general meeting and elections over tandoori roti and butter chicken and had the venue shifted from Chennai to Delhi. Whether it was the rotis or the chicken, it did have its effect as the entire AGM and election went smooth. All because the non-polluting air of Chennai was too stifling for the powerful sports administrators from the north.
The reason? Ramachandran was trying to seek an extension until next year as president, something that could not be digested by his rivals, even with the aid of hajmola. That triggered a verbal diarrhea, enough to smear IOA’s face. For once, the diktat of International Olympic Committee was not invoked. Somehow, all parties suddenly regained their senses as Gujarat went to polls.
Instead of fighting it out in the open, they managed to patch up and discuss a few quotas here and there. Unlike in Gujarat, the quotas here created miracles. From Gujarat to Delhi to Chennai, everybody got a share in the new body. In the end, even the keeper of the IOA treasury Anil Khanna got a post — vice president. Appeasement or arrangement, everything is fair in elections and war. The change has only begun.
In this dream world, our IOA members are former Arjuna Awardees and Games medalists. Some of our esteemed IOA members even declared that most of them are athletes. Not to argue this at all. Sometimes attending an IOA AGM is like visiting an old age home. Some are beyond the Sports Code’s permissible age-limit of 70 and have been a part of IOA since when owning a black-and-white TV was a novelty. They are the ones with brain and beard. By the power of grey skull!
Silence kills
On the lines of most airports, the sports ministry has decided to go silent. Or so it seems in the corridors of the sports ministry. When earlier sports ministers were there, the cacophony within the ministry was audible from Chennai. But now after Athens Olympics double-trap silver medallist RVS Rathore’s appointment as sports minister, there’s complete silence.
It’s as if the officials have been trapped between diktat and a shotgun. But there’s hope. Imagine Rathore introducing a system through which we churn out player after player like our engineering colleges churn out IT pros, athletes who could compete against the best? Schools with sports curriculum as a mandatory subject? A national medal raised to be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree? An international medal in the continent or the world, depending on the competition, should be graded like in the civil services. If Rathore can be a minister, can’t pugilists like Shiva Thapa or athletes like Ankit Sharma be district collectors rather than ticket collectors? Not right now, it seems.
Host or ghost?
Imagine this! India hosting the Olympics in 2032 in New Delhi. And this is 2031. Three months to go. The venues are complete and look pristine. The Games Village boasts perfect living conditions. Millions have been spent. The taxes have not increased.
Even beer prices remain the same (as was not the case during the 2010 CWG), as do costs of other sin products. There is no air pollution. Overlays are not a concern. There is no corruption. Things are smooth, unlike one big Indian marriage. The country is expecting a 100 medals, at least 30 more than China. Even though other countries, including developed countries, are wary of losing money, hosting the Games, India’s over-flowing economy has made this possible. Each penny has been accounted for.
Yeah, right! Dream on.
Here's what really happened:
Controlling the mess
Scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala were made life presidents by the IOA in December 2016. The sports ministry decided it would suspend the IOA’s ‘deemed recognition’ following the move. In response, IOA declared their appointments ‘null and void’ in January.
All’s not well with TOPS
Most sporting nations have such a programme in place and India realised it. But it’s not been smooth-sailing as Express reported it on Wednesday. Athletes have not got their funds (apart from `50,000 every month in way of a stipend). The sports ministry is yet to release funds and the IOA have promised to look into the matter. With the Commonwealth and Asian Games round the corner, the race is on.
Twists and turns
There was a fight of sorts, with a few members reminding president N Ramachandran it was time to walk away after March 31, 2017. Then Ramachandran clarified the issue, saying elections, as per IOC guidenlines and IOA constitution, need be held only in February 2018.
Changes
The sports fraternity rejoiced after Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was made the minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in September. Rathore has talked the right stuff about being there for all sportspersons across the country. But it remains to be seen whether there will be some action to back-up all this rhetoric.
Talk of bidding for new events
A lot of first-world countries and cities actively disuaded people in power in said country from bidding for multi-discipline events. India, though, went the other extreme. They actively spoke of bidding for the biggest of Games — the Summer Olympics. There was even talk of hosting the Commonwealth as well as the Asian Games in a period of six years between 2026 and 2032. Talk is all well and good but delivering on promises will be key.
Batra the new man
In the first week of November, it looked like a couple of factions were preparing to go head to head. However, the men who mattered cleared the air. Ramachandran departed and Narinder Batra became the new president in a unanimous election. Will the bonhomie last among the new set of office-bearers?