Abhinav Bindra wins the first individual Olympic Gold for India

by Amrit Hallan on August 11, 2008

Abhinav Bindra

Abhinav Bindra

Okay, I know the heading sounds like a newspaper heading but being not a great sports fan (at least right now), I cannot conjure up some esoteric heading. Having said that, it was great to hear the national anthem while the Tricolor slowly ascended.

This is a true, inspiring individual feat and the nation has tagged along, as it always happens in India. Bring forward at least one individual other than his family and his coach who was instrumental in this feat. True, Abhinav represented India, but how much did “India” actually contribute, to be so happy and gung-ho about his Olympic gold medal? Did the government help him? Did the society encourage him? The sad thing about India is that people want to see success, but they don’t participate in the struggle involved with that success. Alka was just telling me that once he wanted to import a few guns for training and he was not allowed to do that. In Chandigarh there are no proper facilities for the training he required so his affluent family prepared the training facility (of International standards) at home so that he could train. Now since the government is so happy, why didn’t it provide the needed facilities and equipments? Now since we are so happy, why don’t we put pressure on the government when our sportspersons don’t get the facilities they so desperately need? Almost every state government is rewarding him with millions of rupees and many public sector and private companies and organizations are announcing rewards for him. Why cannot the same amount of money be spent on other struggling sportspersons if we are so much in love with getting gold medals. As Indians we very conveniently rejoice and feel proud when an Indian does great in an International competition, but when it comes to contributing while that Indian is training, we quickly look away. I wonder why there is so much inferiority complex and callousness.

I would have certainly felt proud if we collectively had contributed towards Abhinav’s great success. I’m really, really happy for him as an individual, and I’m also happy that Indians are happy and have a reason to feel proud, but it stops there. Good for him, and I hope he inspires present and future generations and I also hope he causes doors of opportunities to open for other struggling sportspersons – they will be the true mark of pride and joy. You can read more about him at Alka’s blog, and here’s Abhinav’s blog.

[tags]Abhinav Bindra, Indian Olympic gold medalist[/tags]

  • http://www.alkadwivedi.net Alka

    You say:
    “As Indians we very conveniently rejoice and feel proud when an Indian does great in an International competition, but when it comes to contributing while that Indian is training, we quickly look away. I wonder why there is so much inferiority complex and callousness.”
    Well, if we (by we I mean the Generation X, who is seeing abundance, not our parent’s generation) start contributing to India and our community then where will be the time for chilling out,tattoos and fun? My mission in life is to be known as cool dudes. Caring for India or community? Huh! Then we have to move our a**es and that too not in a disc. Who is willing to do that? Where is the time that I can see beyond “I, ME, MYSELF?” My world don’t exist beyond “I me myself.” Period.I am too busy being American than Americans themselves.
    Have you seen our parents teaching us that just one Sunday you have to devote time for community? Or you already have too many dresses and if you are going to buy one more, you have to give up 4-5 dresses in charity? Only Narayan Murthy and Sudha Murthy seem to be doing that. Or have you seen our parents doing any charity work? Do they have any community feeling? Do they Take us out to be friends with others who live differently than us and less fortunate than us? All I see is that they take us out to our “respective” religious places and NOT to the all religious places and teaching us why only our religion is better and worth following for.

    But when we see success, we want some crumbs too. That’s why the celebration.

  • http://www.teerathyatra.com J

    i agree. i did not feel any “national” pride … because it is just an individual getting rewarded for his individual efforts. i, as a nation, had nothing to do with his success, so of course i am not going to feel the … rush. you phrase ‘…and the nation has tagged along’ defines the situation perfectly and its embarrassing to be part of such a mass.

  • http://forums.cozay.com global indian

    great! congrats India.. hope more golds come your way! :)

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