Paris Olympics 2024

The Paris Olympics 2024

• The Paris Olympics 2024 has concluded and India finished 71st in the medal tally, while it was 48th in Tokyo 2020. Despite winning six medals, including one silver and five bronze, the country suffered close defeats and disappointing results at times, which has triggered a discussion about the future of Indian sports.

Highlights of India’s performance at Paris Olympics 2024:

India’s medal winners at Paris Olympics 2024:

• Manu Bhaker wins Bronze in women’s 10m air pistol event
• Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh win Bronze in 10m air pistol mixed team event
• Swapnil Kusale Bronze in Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions
• Indian men’s hockey team wins Bronze
• Neeraj Chopra wins Silver in men’s javelin throw
• Aman Sehrawat wins Bronze in men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling

Note:

• Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal in the javelin throw with a throw of 89.45 m. It was his second Olympic medal, making him India’s fifth two-time Olympic medallist.
• Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal at the Olympics. She also became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in the same sport by winning medals in the individual and mixed team events.
• India won three medals in shooting, including the first Olympic medal in 50m Rifle 3 Positions achieved by Swapnil Kusale. It was India’s highest-ever medal haul in shooting at the Olympics.
• Indian athletes competed for 69 medals in 16 sports such as Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Equestrian, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis and Tennis.
• Lakshya Sen became the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of men’s badminton at the Olympics and finished fourth.
• Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, after reaching the final of the women’s 50 kg category, was disqualified for being overweight by 100 grams.
• India has won a total of 41 Olympic medals till date. Notable achievements include Norman Pritchard’s Silver Medal (1900 Paris), KD Jadhav’s Bronze (1952 Helsinki), Karnam Malleswari’s Bronze (2000 Sydney), Abhinav Bindra’s Gold (2008 Beijing) and Neeraj Chopra’s Gold (2020 Tokyo).
• The men’s hockey team has won 13 medals, including eight gold, while India has eight medals in wrestling. India’s best-ever Olympic performance came at Tokyo 2020, where it bagged seven medals, including a gold. India’s second best performance was at the 2012 London Olympics, when it won six medals (two silver and four bronze).

Why is it such a struggle to win an Olympic medal for India?

Talent identification:

• In India, talent identification is often on an ad-hoc basis, with limited reach and effectiveness.
• There are systemic problems in finding and identifying young athletes, especially in remote areas.

Infrastructure and resources:

• Many regions in India lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to train athletes effectively.
• Limited access to training facilities, coaching expertise and financial support may hinder the development of potential talents.
• Many athletes struggle due to inadequate financial support from the government. For instance, India’s top winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan had to resort to crowdfunding for his training and participation.
• Despite the growing number of billionaires and private wealth in India, there is still a significant gap in sponsorship and investment in sports other than cricket.

The Power of Cricket:

• The immense popularity of cricket in India has created an imbalance in the sports landscape, with 87% of sports capital being allocated to cricket and only 13% to all other sports. This inconsistent allocation has hindered the development of Olympic sports.
• Apart from cricket, the lack of a strong sporting culture and media publicity has been a hindrance.
• A more balanced approach to sports investment and promotion is necessary to adequately support the Olympic Games and create a more inclusive and competitive sports culture in India.

Inadequate game policies:

• India’s sports policies have historically been fragmented and underfunded.
• Efforts such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme have been made to improve sports infrastructure and support athletes. However, these initiatives are relatively recent and have not yet produced significant results.

The long-term development:

• India’s sports programs often focus on short-term successes rather than long-term development of the athlete.
• Preparing world-class athletes requires constant investment and planning over many years.
• As an example: Successful Olympic nations have long-term development plans that include scouting young talent, providing them with early training and supporting them throughout their careers.

Corruption and Politics in Sports Administration:

• Sports administration in India is often dominated by politicians and bureaucrats, leading to politicization of sports administration.
• Corruption and bureaucratic hurdles often hinder the development of athletes, with the interests of sportspersons often taking a back seat.
• Indian sports organizations, especially the governing bodies, have not been able to adapt to the challenges of the professional and business sector, relying on volunteers rather than employing skilled professionals.
• The recent controversies within the wrestling federation are indicative of the wider issues plaguing Indian sports administration.
• Lack of sports culture.
• In India, education is given social priority over sports. Families often prefer careers in fields such as medicine or accounting because they see sports as less viable for financial security.
• India’s complex social stratification, with strong links to caste and regional identities, hampers the development of an integrated sporting culture. Many communities discourage pursuing sports at the elite level, focusing on traditional roles.
• Measures India can take to improve its Olympic performance:

Development at grass root level:

• More emphasis should be laid on development of sports at grass root level. Identifying and nurturing talent from an early age in various sports disciplines can help build a strong foundation.

Investment in infrastructure:

• It is important to create world-class training facilities and provide athletes access to the best coaching and support system. This includes psychological support, nutrition, and injury management.
• Smaller countries like Jamaica and Grenada, which have a much smaller population, regularly outperform India in the Olympics. Their focused investment in specific sports like sprinting shows the importance of targeted development.

Empowering athletes:

• Athletes are the primary stakeholders in sports and their participation in decision making can bring much needed accountability and transparency in sports organizations.

The college sports system:

• India can develop a college / collegiate sports system, mirroring the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the United States.
• The NCAA has produced a large number of Olympic champions, not only for the United States but for countries all over the world. If the NCAA were a country, it would have topped the medal table at the Paris Olympics 2024 with 60 gold medals.
• Many athletes from small and large countries attribute their Olympic success to training and competing in the NCAA, making the U.S. college sports system a major player in global sports.
• India’s college sports system must strike a balance between academics and athletics by providing scholarships and academic support to attract talented athletes who might otherwise drop out of the sport.
• Promoting regular inter-college and inter-university competitions in various sports will give young athletes more exposure to high-pressure situations, thereby preparing them for international competitions such as the Olympics.

The cultural change:

• A change in social attitude towards sports is necessary. Encouraging families to help children pursue a career in sports and incorporating sports into the education system can be helpful.
• China, which shares some socio-economic similarities with India, has excelled by systematically identifying and promoting talent from an early age.
• The government’s purposeful and sustained investment in sports has resulted in medals in the Olympics.

Increase in Government Assistance:

• The government should provide more consistent and adequate funding for the Olympic Games. This includes direct support to athletes as well as investment in training and international performance.

Focusing on development:

• India should aim to triple its number of athletes from 117 for the Los Angeles Olympics-2028 to better compete with the US and Japan, which have more than 600 and 400 athletes respectively.
• This increase will naturally lead to more medals. Instead of focusing only on hosting the Games in the year 2036, India should focus on improving the medal tally in the Los Angeles (Summer) Olympics-2028 and beyond to establish India as an Olympic sporting nation. The Paris Olympics is an opportunity for serious introspection and learning.

Initiatives related to sports development in India:

• Khelo India;
• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF);
• Sports Authority of India (SAI);

It was established in the year 1984 as a society registered under the Societies Act, 1860 for the promotion of sports.

• National Sports Awards;

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award and Dronacharya Award.

These awards are the highest sporting honours in India, reflecting the outstanding performance of the Indian athlete and inspiring future generations.

• Sports and Games Scheme for Persons with Disabilities;

Launched as a Central Sector Scheme in 2009-10, the programme provides specialized training and support to athletes with disabilities, encourages their participation in sports and enhances their skills.

• Fit India Movement;
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan;

Launched in 2014, this federally funded programme aims to build sports complexes at the block level, which provide infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor sports.