Abhinav Bindra’s air pistol gold at the Olympics has made every Indian proud! But I have my quibbles. Do we really have a nationalistic character? Do we really stand up for someone talented and give him all the financial backing he needs to be a world beater? Take Bindra. His father spent crores of rupees to give him the best international equipment. And it was only in 2000-01 that the government feted Bindra with a Khel Ratna award that carried Rs 10 lakh. Since then, Bindra has got almost Rs 1 crore from the government. But his, is an isolated case.
Not many are as lucky. Take world snooker champion Pankaj Advani. This Bangalore boy still complains that the government and the corporates are apathetic to sports people. Only cricket is still considered a profitable venture for corporates. Other sports still get the cold shoulder even if you have a world beater amongst us.
Post Bindra’s gold, every other state government is giving away cash awards to him. A better way of saluting him would be to set up institutes, contests and scholarships for deserving sports people in their respective states. Not only will this create more Bindras, but also help our local boys compete internationally.
The key is exposure. Exposure to equipment and training. And exposure to international events. Once, our sportsmen get there, sky will be the limit, and I am being conservative here.
Faster, higher, stronger!
