India's Vijender Kumar won his QF encounter emphatically on points, 9-4, against Carlos Gongora of Eucador, who is ranked almost 10 placed ahead of him, to enter the semi-finals. With this, India may return from Beijing with the maximum number of medals ever from a single olympics. If Vijender goes on to win the gold, then even better!
India's performance may be laughable to people used to see their countries win many individual medals. Fair enough, but for India and Indians, it is veritably like the snail has gone and done a long jump, and won it! Hopefully, all this triggers greater interest in all sports, especially in the vast hinterlands of various metros in India. The talent will come from the smaller towns for it is they who see this as an opportunity for growth and willing to put in the physically and mentally painful hard yards to achieve.
In Bhiwani, from where these boxers have come from, apparently the saying goes, "the more you sweat, the less you bleed."
The Bhiwani Boxing Club from where more boxers are likely to emerge. The North-East is the other boxing resource.
News reports on the Bhiwani Boxing Club:
The town which packs a punch
Bhiwani to Beijing
Against the Odds: Vijender Kumar (British Broadcasting Corporation article and video)
Born out of Nowhere
Sen on eFlux Media
Last Word -
Normally, the ladies of the Indian contingent put up a better fight; this time it is the other way around for a change.
Mix it up right
2 hours ago
3 comments:
The best ever olympics for india and this will spur huge interest in talent especially in the smaller towns and villages. It might well be the defining point of change with regard to taking other sports more seriously.
I believe it will be so too, Scorpi.
The average Indian, even in the remore corners of the country, has gradually become primed to improve his lot through various agencies - be it greater penetration of media, social upliftment efforts, mobility and transportation - they all, and perhaps more agencies as well, have been stirring up the common Indian pot.
As a result, and with the changing economic scenario, it is no longer an issue to excel at academics....you could excel at whatever you are good at and gain from it. It could be business...say being a property dealer after selling off your farmland, trading, selling and buying...it could be labour, it could be owning and driving your own truck...they know at least physical prowess is something they can give a good shot to. Then there is increasing competition for limited resources within the house - you got to do something on your own!
All this is filtering into sports. Gradually peope are seeing this as something which they can do, keep kids away from trouble, and is potentially a source for jobs and social improvement.
The concept of "ek medal" is by now deeply ingrained in the psyche of those who still look for basic governmental patronage for appointments, awards, and contacts as the way to lift themselves to a better social standing.
It is a powerful draw. Not that it wasn't there earlier, the difference now is that not only governmental agencies, private agencies too don't mind punting an amount or so at different levels. It could be sponsoring the village games, one athlete, or it could be larger.
Slightly improved socio-economic state of the country means that, people can, if they are determined, bring together a combination of factors to support their play. Even this wasn't possible earlier. However, this has to change...there must be some basic level of support from where, the athlete has to draw in support through his efforts.
One thing's for sure...simple things like sporting success, sporting honor, still stand at parity with military/patriotic honor in the minds of the ordinary. It is not so in the more cynical rest.
There is pride in attending a akhada at the expense of school and later wrestling for the nation. It is seen as some respected endeavour as sports should always be....rather than taking to sport only after different and multitudinous calculations.
The thing is such things are seen as gainful employment of time by the village folk when they know their child isn't Einstein and isn't likely to be. They are also not caught up in this curious image that academics are superior to all other endeavours.
They believe anything which is done honestly and brings home the gold is an honorable endeavour worth pursuing.
That is in many ways a true worldview rather than that of cynical metros.
They are willing to sacrifice for it....collectively...the family will give up a roti each so their beloved Satpal can have a few badaams in his diet and an extra glass of doodh to go along. The breadwinner of the family gives up his dose of "ghee" so his Satpal can have the energy to wrestle.
Uncle Raman or Uncle Bhatia also does the same for his child but towards a different direction of emphasis....sports has truly shifted base to the countryside in India...sports is a major vehicle of social mobility in that constituency.
no doubt it has shifted to the countryside... it shows even in cricket.
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