(article in Tripura.net)
I grew up in Dimapur in Nagaland, we used to mock people coming from Sarupathar-Borpathar. I saw their simplicity and innocence. Those days, some of them did not know how to use land phones.
Today they have an Olympic medalist! Sarupathar assembly constituency in Assam where Bronze medal winner Lovlina Borgohain’s village falls still has mud roads.
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This write up is not an attempt to rewrite history or even make a critical analysis of the history itself.
History is also related to struggles, and fighting in life does leave memories.
A new reputation drives out the old one.
August 7th, 2021 came as a Red Letter Day for India just a week before India makes foray into the 75th year of Independence.
Modern India has many stories. Neeraj Chopra’s Gold win at the Tokyo Olympics and others too doing well give a new dimension.
More so because in this year’s Sporting Extravaganza, India’s total Medal tally was highest so far at seven. India is ranked 47th, and it is also for the first time, we are above 50-mark.
It’s time we call it the emergence of ‘Naya Bharat’ or a ‘New India’.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP leaders are suggesting that the political interference has been discouraged and almost disappeared. And also, the talented sporting stars got adequate support.
But are there a few lessons for a democratic nation like ours?
Once upon a time – even the 1990s and around India’s participation in the Olympics was dubbed as a decorative exercise.
That was something to uphold the spirit of harmonious co-existence with the global community. But in retrospect, it has been proved that just a few years of reboot and things can turn into miracles. Looking back, perhaps it may not be totally erroneous to suggest that there was a ‘conspiracy’ in year-after-year failures of a country of one hundred crore to do well in sporting extravaganzas. It suited the ‘jugadu political’ culture – the country has grown used to.
The Olympics did not mean sports or winning medals. To many so called sporting officials and Babus it meant junkets and shopping! The ‘Sports Ministry’ both in Delhi and states was just another office which no high profile and performance oriented Netas wanted to get into.
Hence, a regime of the day in 1991 took it for granted and announced the country’s highest sports award in the name of a politician. This was not the first time. Hundreds of stadiums and sporting complexes too have been dedicated to the Neta class and that too to a particular family.
In states, at best the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio excited a few for the subsidies; and the ‘favours’ they could throw out to citizens as freebies. The screening of beneficiaries too was guided by ‘Jugadu politics’.
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It was not without good reason that Sunil Gavaskar once said, “More than having sports in politics, we have politics in sports”.
The story of poor show in Hockey is well known. That way the year 2021 marks not only a year of discovery of a Golden Haryanvi boy, Neeraj Chopra, it also marks India winning maximum medals. And the great game of hockey coming out of its Rip Van Winkle slumber.
Politically, the Congress has ruled India and the states for decades. The Leftists remained permanent self-styled virtuous and efficient lots.
In states such as West Bengal, there was a job crisis and the answer was ‘Unemployment fees (Bekar Bhata)’. They hardly bothered to consider sports as a viable alternative means to encourage youngsters.
Of course, political goondaism thrived in West Bengal to Kerala and also in cow belt states. Of course there were sports in Kolkata. But they were more in football in the form of players ‘changing three clubs’ and the stinking politics involved in it.
When Mamata Banerjee screams 'Khela hobey', it's not about sports. It is about political violence.
The Calcutta High Court hearing on post-poll violence has been completed and now it's judgement time. Stories were no different in the northeast.
The success of Manipur stars or a Mizoram hockey star and Assam Boxer in Tokyo makes it clear how the sporting talent of native youngsters over the decades remained neglected across the region.
In Tripura, Dipa Karmakar made news lately. But years back in 1972, gymnast Mantu Debnath would have gone to the Olympics. However, those who mattered couldn't find a coach.
Now, in 2021, post-August 7, it is time now that the country keeps up the momentum it has attained after so many years.
The achievements could not have come at a better time than now when the prophets of dooms are in full time occupation to run down the country in more ways than one.
'Team India' success at the Olympics also gave the country a fresh lease of life when things looked demoralised due to a plethora of reasons – from Covid19 to economic crisis.
The Tokyo2020 offers a new era of underdogs and underprivileged. Women and young girls have fought patriarchy specially in Haryana. A host of hockey players and others are essentially in search of a better life. Athletics and boxing are not rich man's sports in India.
Unlike cricket stars from Delhi and Mumbai, many of our Olympic boys and girls are homeless. A few, including hockey star Salima Tete in Jharkhand still live in mud houses and eat sitting on floors.
For a long time, Indian boys and girls focused on classroom textbooks and 'mugging' exercises. They need not parrot the lessons any longer, some of them can leap towards running tracks and hockey turfs. 'New India' is here.
#RaviDahiya enters FINALS ...
so minimum #Silver
"I am so eagerly waiting for final tomorrow" - @KirenRijiju
bows out in semi final,,,but Lovlina from Sarupathar in eastern Assam, wins bronze
"Well fought
@LovlinaBorgohai. Her success in the boxing ring inspires several Indians. Her tenacity and determination are admirable. Congratulations to her on winning the Bronze. Best wishes for her future endeavours." - PM Modi tweeted
Well done, says Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur
"Lovlina, you gave your best punch !Boxing glove
India is extremely proud of what you have achieved !You’ve achieved a Third place medal medal in your first Olympics; the journey has just begun!
Well done @LovlinaBorgohai" - Anurag Thakur tweeted.
The 23-year-old Lovlina Borgohain wins bronze medal, loses to Busenaz Sürmeneli of Turkey 0-5 in women's (64-69kg) semifinal match.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, former Sports Minister, in his tweet wrote:
"Dear @LovlinaBorgohai you have made our country proud! Congratulations on winning Olympic Bronze medal! We are extremely proud of your achievement!"
Pole Vault Gold Medalist in Olympics Duplanits emerged a true ‘mama’s boy’
US-born Armand Duplantis won Gold for his country Sweden in Pole Vault but missed narrowly the major milestone of setting a new world record. The sports of ‘Pole Vault’ came in his genes, and there’s more to it !
There was perhaps also a minor debate on why he is representing Sweden and not the US. Quizzed about this, he said: “It was chill in the beginning. But I think may be now it would be worse”.
Of course, in his journey to win Gold, he beat an American only.
Always a smiling man, Duplanits is 21-year old and during the encounter for prestigious Olympic Gold was always seen interacting joyfully with his competitors and virtually exchanging notes.
After his Gold win and having narrowly missed New World Record, Duplantis spoke in Swedish answering questions from journalists and remarked: “I wear Sweden across my chest and I do it proudly”.
Many Americans perhaps did not know that Duplanits’s mom Helena is from Sweden and dad – an American – from Louisiana. That’s right – he had dual citizenship.
His father Greg was an All-America pole vaulter and mother Helena played volleyball and had also competed in hepthalon on the track.
According to ‘USA Today’, home videos show Duplantis used to try pole vaulting at the age of 4 !
One more small info, both his parents were at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday evening because they both ‘officially coach’ him.
After the Gold Win, many from Swedish press persons were surprised as he started interacting with them in Swedish.
ends --
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