Dangal

There are not many days when deep into the night the Country kept staring at the TV set or the Mobile Screen without the prospect of any to-be century from Sachin or Virat. The viewership number at the screen corner continuously crept up as the expectation for a second time gold from Neeraj Chopra kept growing, such has been his impact on recent years. It was Silver this time but was enough for a New Promise, a New Hope.

It is barely two-three decades back when we craved for a single medal at the Olympics ! Time is changing, the numbers are increasing irrespective of the colours. Maybe in another ten years or so things will change further for the better, even if we are not there to witness.

Post 1947, the Himalayan volume of work to be done perhaps never helped us to consider Sports more as a luxury than an opportunity. No blame, a country struggling to find food & earnings for all could rarely look beyond the fittest mode of survival. Hence, Sports were never encouraged and the necessity of literacy found utmost importance to find bread for the bigger family. Poverty, Uncertainty & the Fear for it had built an Invincible Image in the mind

Things have changed then, quality of life has improved substantially in a major part of India. While the debate over BPL (below poverty line) & Free Ration still persists, even then things have improved. There is a large section of middle class affluent in every sense of the term. 

With jobs at MNCs, foreign countries and handsome financial backup they are Safe & Sound. But still they have not yet outgrown the Fear over Uncertainty; serious SPORTS are still not there in the check list of the well-to-do parents.

Yet we want our Athletes at the Olympics to win over all hurdles, uncertainties & bring home buckets of medals of all colours. No defence for the failure, still the Expectation is asking too much. Perhaps we are unable to go through the Uncertainties the Career of Sports involve & we expect 100% success ! 

Till the Parents (specially middle class) have outgrown their Mental Poverty, Sports in India shall continue to be a Minority in the Olympic Games.

Let's not worry about the failures, let's drop the complexity over colours, let's celebrate the numbers, the journey is yet to begin, the battlefield is right inside us ! 

"Maa ke pet se marghat tak Hai

Teri kahaani pag pag pyare

Dangal dangal Dangal dangal

Sooraj tera chadhta dhalta

Gardish mein karte hain taare

Dangal dangal Dangal dangal"

🙏🙏🙏 Thanks to all the Athletes of Paris2024

(Picture Courtesy : Google)