The Indian contingent to compete in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 23 will have to deal with growing pressure of expectations, not just from fans of multi-discipline sport but also from Indian sports bureaucracy and broadcaster, if a promo shared on social media earlier this week is any indication.
You will have noticed that the smart athletes, aware of the vagaries of form and luck, have learnt to talk of making a 100 per cent effort on the biggest of stages. They are no given to making vain boasts about achieving success. Nobody knows better than them that competitive sport comes with built in risks – fitness, form and luck of the draw are but a few such factors.
Undoubtedly, there has been a sea change in the approach of most elite athletes since Leander Paes and Abhinav Bindra’s inspiring efforts in the Olympic Games. They know that with the right preparation, rest and recovery methods, they can compete with the world’s best. But they can surely do without the expectations raised by bureaucrats and broadcasters alike.
For a few weeks now, we have been hearing of some projections in official circles of 45 gold medals and a haul of 100 medals. There is always a great risk in projecting a 100-plus haul from the Asian Games. And some of us were left hoping that these numbers would remain within closed doors and not work their way to the mindspace of the athletes preparing for the Asian Games.
However, the broadcast network’s promo featuring the iconic Amitabh Bachchan let the cat out of the bag. It is hard to think of such projection as marketing spiel alone. For, the makers of the promo for the broadcaster would have consulted experts in the Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Such hype, as is beginning to be shared in public domain, will not only increase their brunt but also make them the targets for trolls should India not come back the number of medals being projected across different platforms. Perhaps, the modern athlete has to contend with higher expectations and with the bouquets or brickbats that come with the performance.
Back in 1976, the revered The Illustrated Weekly of India screamed ‘600 Million Indians and No Medal!’ after the 26-member contingent returned empty handed from the Olympic Games for the first time. The expectations of at least a hockey medal, on the heels of the 1975 World Cup victory, were belied, though Sriram Singh and Shivnath Singh won hearts with their doughty performances.
In 2016, the Sports Authority of India made a projection of 12 to 19 medals six weeks before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Thanks to Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu, a flip back to the pre-1996 days was averted, but the overall showing of the 112 member contingent led to intense soul searching initiated by the Prime Minister.
Ahead of Tokyo2020, therefore, the focus on how well prepared the Indian athletes were rather on the likely collection of medals. After being pragmatic in making no projections, the optimism is back in Indian sports circles, the sports bureaucracy possibly convincing the leadership that not just the contingent that will be the largest but also the returns from Hangzhou.
Yes, the lessons from 2016 seem lost on the leaders and managers of Olympic sport in India. By stoking the fans’ expectations of a 100-plus medals, it is possibly being suggested that these two disciplines will improve their 2018 showing now, though on Chinese soil. It is also being said that the thought leaders are banking on sizable contributions from sport like Chess, Jiujitsu and Kurash.
Cricket, which is being introduced to the Asian Games schedule this time, Kabaddi and Hockey will have large squads but these team sport can secure a maximum of six medals. It means that disciplines like Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Rowing, Squash, Table Tennis, Wrestling will have to step up the plate for India.
India picked up 70 medals, including 16 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze, in the last Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. Athletics was the only sport to get 10 or more medals while Shooting contributed 9, the next largest set of medals. None of the 16 other medal winning disciplines fetched more than 3 medals.
One of the reasons for the call for toning down expectations is the fact that Government funding to athletes through the National Sports Federations’ Annual Calendar for Training and Competition was curtailed by an order of the Delhi High Court. It left athletes from many disciplines having to find funds for their training and competitive exposure.
Of course, towards the end of April, the Court took cognisance of the Asian Games preparations being affected and appointed Abhinav Bindra and 1980 Olympic Games hockey gold medalist MM Somayya to a committee to clear funding. We will know if and how much the closure of the valve of funding would affect the returns from Hangzhou in a few months.
Make no mistake, there is great joy in later events proving that such redflags should be rolled up and tucked away rather waved with just over three months to go for the Asian Games. But, trust me, there would be more joy in reaping a larger medal harvest than expected while the disappointment would be massive if the magic number of 100 is not reached.
Also Read: Anurag Thakur Confident of Record Asian Games Medal Haul