reporter’s diary
talk|16 aug 2012|talkmag.in
16
Bronze, barbecue and more The British took time to warm up to the Games, Saina was taken aback by her victory, and the Chinese revealed some dark truths about their training. All the action, direct for Talk from London
and expectedly, it came from Saina Nehwal. The Indian girl was all smiles and giggling like a teenager. A couple of days ago, she had talked of all the expectations on her. “I don’t read the papers,” she’d said. “Everyone’s expecting a medal from me.’” he first few days of the Games, there was barely an indication that the Olympics was on. In the trains - both underground and overground - people sat stonefaced, texting on their mobiles or staring into space. The only indication was in the pink signs at the stations signalling the venues, and in the pink jackets worn by volunteers. There was just no sign of the celebration or gaiety one expected of an Olympics. As the games progress, however, one senses change. There are more visitors, and there is a lot of excited talk in the trains, which are the lifelines of London. At several public venues, big TV screens have been installed and there is the feel of a barbeque party. Britain has been doing well at several events, and there is excited chatter at the pubs and the parks and the trains.
T
or around 20 minutes of Saina Nehwal’s third place play-off match, we thought it was going to be another disappointing day for Indian sport. Wang Xin, her opponent, was firing in steep left-handed smashes and leaving the Indian scrambling around. It was only late in the game that we realised the Chinese girl was bending over after the rallies, clutching her thighs. Still, she was playing so well it would take an inspired effort from Saina to level the match. Suddenly, there was Wang Xin on the floor, wincing in pain, and her coaches looking concerned. In a few minutes, it became apparent - Wang Xin was injured, and had retired from the match, giving Saina the win and a bronze medal. It took time to sink in. An Olympic bronze! It was Indian badminton’s first-ever medal at the Olympics,
F
ith the focus on athletes,
W
VICTOR Saina Nehwal knew India expected a medal from her, but wouldn’t read the papers
some touching stories have emerged. The Chinese diver Wu Mingxia, for instance, did not even know that her mother had breast cancer for the last ten years. Mingxia was drafted into China’s Project 119 (according to the papers), a special sports project for elite sportspeople, where she would train some 10 or 12 hours a day away from any talk of family or the outside world. Her parents decided to withhold the terrible news of her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and even news of her grandmother’s death, until after she’d won the gold. One does know know if they did it of their own accord, or if they were ‘instructed’ to do so. Ranged against such a Chinese system, it’s a surprise that other countries can even aspire for a medal. he biggest scandal so far at the Games was the ‘match throwing’ issue in badminton. Four teams: two from Korea and one each from China and Indonesia, were found guilty of playing to lose their final group games so as to ensure smoother passage for themselves in the later rounds of the contest. The eight players were disqualified. As far as we are concerned, the matter ends there. But for the players, a nightmare has begun. All of them were instructed by their coaches, who belatedly sprang to their defence. But they have been publicly embarrassed, and - in Korea at least - the public hasn’t taken too kindly to what they did. A Korean friend tells me that national honour is a big thing there, and anybody deemed guilty of bring down Korea’s prestige will not be spared. It’s curious how players - like other loyal soldiers of the country - often become pawns in the national interest.
T
What makes a ‘sporting nation?’ Is it the number of Olympic medals it wins? Is it the money that the government and the private sector invests in sport? Is it the number of big stadiums in the country? Or rather, is it just how easily you and I, as common citizens, can play a sport? I walk into a government-run leisure centre in Purley, which is part of the London borough of Croydon. Most of the people using the gym appeared to be over 60. The pool too had several senior citizens and mothers with infants. I scan the notices. By local standards, the facility is quite inexpensive. An hour's swim for an adult costs £ 2.5 - the equivalent of our Rs 25 (direct pound-to-rupee conversion doesn't make sense because you cannot buy most things for less than one pound.) Swimming sessions are free for those above 60. There are classes for children and adults with physical and learning disabilities. Every notice urges you to belong there. Of course it would be unwise to compare Bangalore or Hyderabad’s challenges and resources with London's, but it won't hurt to see what passes off as normal here. The Purley leisure centre is one of five government-run leisure centres in Croydon, which has a population of 3.6 lakh. The government website reveals, among other things, that Croydon has 14 libraries, 77 parks, 14 multigames courts and seven tennis facilities. In the government centres one can choose to swim, play badminton or table tennis. There are also several venues for tennis, football and cricket. Apart from these government centres, of course, there are private centres. We will not dwell on the difference in the scale of challenges of a London borough to that of Bangalore or Hyderabad. If state governments can gift prime plots to alreadywealthy cricketers and star athletes, surely a wiser thing instead would be to use the same plots to build small sports halls that benefit more people. Those very resources can be better used for the public.