G Rajaraman
New Delhi, March 6: The mere presence of the galaxy of athletes from multiple sport, each of whom has ventured into uncharted terrain and done India proud, was enough for India’s biggest sports conclave to live up to its name. But they contributed with their experiences, observations and thoughts to make it a truly a gathering of Trailblazers.
There have been many wonderful gatherings of sportspersons where they are felicitated, feted and celebrated – and perhaps paraded as idols. Yet, Trailblazers was unarguably the first time that such a large assembly of athletes, present and past, came together to brainstorm without holding back, sharing their perspectives without fear of being misunderstood.
Indeed, curated carefully by RevSportz Founder Boria Majumdar, Trailblazers was the stage on which the athletes bared their hearts on a range of subjects that more than satiated the appetite of the sports fans and the connoisseur alike. Athletes, coaches and officials from Olympic sport and diverse corporates engaged in open and enriching discussions.
It was a psychologically safe environment in which the panelists aired their thoughts and ideas. It was a day on which athletes held centrestage amidst a gathering that listened to them with curiosity and keenness. And, it was also a day on which it became clear that while India is evolving as a sporting nation, a lot more needs to be done, especially at grassroots, before that goal is achieved.
India’s first individual Olympic Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra pointed out that India must build a better culture of sports. “Out of 1.4 billion people, not many play sports. We need to build a culture of sports first to win more medals. The structure in sports at the grassroots level is very important. It’s important to create a sports culture which will get 1 per cent elite athletes,” he said.
There could have been no better voice than Pullela Gopichand to make the audience, including those watching the live stream on RevSportz YouTube channel, understand that while the elite athletes are well provided for, those in the lower rungs also need of financial and emotional support but did not find many backers.
Devendra Jhajharia, who has two gold and a silver in three starts in Paralympics, Deepa Malik, India’s first woman medalist in Paralympic Games, were tremendous advocates for Para Sport. Their strong presence – as also that of many sportswomen – reflected that inclusivity and empowerment were not merely slogans that RevSportz was mouthing.
Trailblazers went beyond being merely an assembly of achievers sharing stories. Beyond the palest shadow of doubt, it provided the platform for stakeholders to have a free exchange of views and ideas, revealing them as emerging thought leaders capable of making massive contribution to the evolution of Indian sport, not just with their medals but also with their straightforward views.
If on one hand, star wrestler Vinesh Phogat could ask how anyone could produce proof of harassment, on the other Athletics Federation of India President Adille J. Sumariwalla could lament that Indian Corporates had failed Indian sport by not offering even an eighth of their mandated CSR funding.
You could feel the honesty when legendary Abhinav Bindra confessed he dealt poorly with pressure until he learnt to accept it as an accomplice of training and competition. And, you could sense the candour when the young Olympian Manu Bhaker spoke of how she has chosen not to wallow in painful memories from Tokyo2020 but to continue to shoot because she enjoys it.
You could feel a hint of sadness underlying Pullela Gopichand spoke of how he let go of players from under his wings, but you could also feel his genuine concern when, in the same breath, he said Badminton was paramount and the system and structure were more important than individual players.
Besides, the affable Olympic Games gold medal winning Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra’s characteristic humility, Mirabai Chanu’s typical quiet confidence and World Women’s Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen’s trademark sharp focus were all in evidence in the historical conclave. Indian archery’s first couple, Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, were at their candid best, too.
These examples from Sunday’s discussions should be enough indication of the rare quality of conversation on a public platform. It can be said without fear of contradiction – and of allegations of conflict of interest because I was jointly moderated a couple of the panel discussions – that the conclave lived up to its title. Trailblazers.
