From: guru@netcom.com (Muthukumar Arumugham)
Subject: Re: India in Barcelona 
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 07:31:01 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <1992Aug9.090845.1789@news.Hawaii.Edu> vijay@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu (Vijay Fafat) writes:
>From: rs@acpub.duke.edu (RAMAKRISHNA SRINIVASAN)
>
>Apart from the humour, you do reap what you sow!. If India invests in
>world class facilities, quality caoches and INDEPENDENT institutions, I
>am sure winning medals will not be a problem. Y
>
>

Agreed -- there is little doubt about that !

>
>         The moot ethical question whether India should *really* be
>investing in something like sports remains unanswered. I doubt if the
>hungry zillions care whether India is capable of winning a medal at the 
>Olympics or not. Or for that matter, whether the Olympics are really
>necessary - their purported objectives about world union not withstanding.
>That that idotic Ms Miss India lost in the final round because of her stupid
>answer indicates what some of those judges think about this.

I think the answer (at least at this point in time) lies somewhere in
the middle. Sure, we have to feed the hungry "zillions", but in today's
world, where winning Olympic medals is synonymous with some political
clout,a big nation like India badly needs a handful (and please -- 
in something OTHER than hockey) - if nothing else, at least for ignorant
NBC anchors like Bob Costas to talk about other than "poor" India's only 2
astroturfs (i am told there are at least 15) for Hockey. Secondly
some medals for India would not embarrass a couple of Indians 
living in Australia when calling themselves "Indian" (If you've
been following the "Woefull Indian show ..." thread you'dknow
what i mean) .
And c'mon 
Vijay, give the girl some credit for being honest ! Granted that it
probably cost her the title (which was hers had she responded in a
typically hypocritic "If i were India's P.M., i would feed the 
millions/zillions .. this and that". Such hypothetical answers to
hypothetical questions are nothing but a load of b.s.) You and I and
all mai-ke-lal know who can (and cannot) do what for that country.

>     I wonder if Mr. Srinivasan realises the amount that would be required 
>to provide the Indians with "world-class facilities". Any guesses and the
>basis, Mr. RS?
>
>---- FFT
The key lies 
in NOT sending athletes to compete in EVERY damn event there is. Did you
know that India's contigent this time was one of the biggest in Barcelona
and THE biggest that India has ever sent to an Olympic ? This indeed is
stupidity in its most naive form. Let me guess - the innocent thinking
of the Indian Olympic Committee might be that if you send "more", there
is "more" probability of winning a medal (reminds me of "matka" that 
goes on in B'bay). India has repeatedy shown potential in women's
athletics(P.T.Usha, Shiney - missed her Bronze in L.A games narrowly),
greeco-roman wrestling,boxing, weight-lifting, badminton (some others that
i might 've missed) and ofcourse hockey. But get this straight -- if
they start training NOW, the earliest any results that can be expected
is probably in 2000 ! So please, no FALSE optimism (and, consequent
heart-burn).
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Two of man's greatest enemies are ignorance and politicians.
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You're dead right ! But gotta live with both. And if the people in
the United States can do a much better job of living with politicians
(relatively), Indians can too!

Finally guys, where ever i have been in the past 2 weeks (of Olympics)
everyone here (in L.A) has been banging away at the Indian squad.(By
everyone i ofcourse mean all Desis -- non-Desis don't even THINK about
the Indian squad, thats really the tragedy) But LETS BE OBJECTIVE HERE !
India has won gold medals only in hockey, and that too in the distant
past when the powerhouses of Europe were still learning the game. India's
only non-hockey medal was in weight-lifting (by a guy called Khashaba
Jadhav, i don't remember the year). So, this state of affairs has not
befallen us SUDDENLY, it has been with us since 1947 ! And if it took
us more than 4 decades to get into this MESS, please do not expect
to get out in 2 weeks. All of us, including our "Indian" attitudes
should take some blame. And finally, although there is NO unwarranted
optimism, there is CALCULATED hope. Many of those Indian athletes
did try very very hard, with sincerity at Barcelona and they deserve
at least better training facilities. 

Rgds --- Prasad 
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!! WE SHALL OVERCOME !!
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