The performance of our sportperspons in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games has opened up new vistas and has set the tone for the future says BOSCO CELESTINE
Name one Electronic Channel which focussed on our boys and girls training hard for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the Asian Games in Guangzhou (China) to make India proud.
Yes, they did. These stars shining bright in the Sport firmament. And what did these 
channels dish out. It was Suresh Kalmadi day in and day out. And, yet, lets be fair to Mr Kalmadi. He gave our boy and girls arena to compete with top class athletes an exposure under home conditions which they could not have dreamt.
Where did our golden girls and boys come from. Certainly not from affluent families in the Metros. To Start with lets focus camera on Deepaka Rani who won gold in Archery. She hails from a remote village in Jharkhand. What a heart-warming picture, national newspapers splashed showing Deepika with her parents. It was moment of joy in their wretched life. Mind you, her father is a auto rickshaw driver.
Our athletes have, indeed come of age. Time of India has come out with research which is quite revealing.
Sudha Singh, 24-years-old girl from Rai Bareilly took the gold beating the Chinese on their own soil in 3000 metres steeple chase in a photo finish.
Can you believe it. Ashwini C A became a new star on the horizon winning the 400 metres hurdles and then burnt the tracks clinching gold in the 4×400 metres relay along with Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Manjit Kaur.
Villages in Kerala have always brought laurels to the Nation starting from great legend P T Usha, Shiny Abraham name a few. Following in their footsteps, Preeja Sreedharan, a long distance won gold in the gruelling 10,000 metres.
If the Girls strike Gold can the Boys be far behind. Joseph Abraham (Athletics), Chennai Challenger Somdev Devvaraman (Tennis), Pankaj Advani (Billiards), Vijendar Singh and Vikas Krishan (both boxing) to mention a few.
The performance of Sportperspons in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games has opened up new vistas and has the set the tone for the future. India was placed second in the CWG and finished the Asian Games with 14 Golds and a tally of 64 medals.
These medals have come mainly from athletics, tennis, boxing and Kabbadi. India expected a gold in hockey but managed a Bronze. Our athletes must be given support from all quarters if they are to sustain this tempo. Each medal winner has to start training in right earnest to aim for higher achievement in the 2012 London Olympics. Despite the controversy surrounding the CWG, the games has unearthed hidden new talents and given us hope for the future.
Now it is for the powers that be to come up with ambitious training regime, best training facilities and an urgent need to revamp the various sport administrations for the well-being and successes of our Sportspersons in the International arenas.
