Skip to main content

Will Govt of India work for safe atmosphere in sports to boost Olympic medal tally?

By Sudhansu R Das 

They are the true sons and daughters of India. They have made India proud by winning Olympic medals. Winning Olympic medals need extraordinary physical strength, mental toughness, strong determination, intelligence, single willed devotion and sacrifice which continue for long years right from childhood days. Indian wrestlers have not only made India proud by winning Olympic medals, they have kept alive India’s ancient wrestling tradition whose origin goes beyond recorded history. Lord Hanuman, Bali, Lord Balaram, Bhim and Jarasandha were the famous wrestlers as per the mythology. 
Wrestling was an Indian sport which was very popular across the country. This sport had contributed to building strong kings, monarchs, warriors and die hard freedom fighters in the country. Today the Olympic medal winning Indian wrestlers are not seen in their wrestling arena; they are now fighting for justice in the heat and dust of Delhi.
Seven women wrestlers have reportedly lodged FIR against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, President of Wrestling Federation of India. They have requested the Prime Minister and the Sports Minister to help them get justice. A three quarters of the wrestlers believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s zero tolerance approach to sex crime will deliver justice for them. More than one month is over by now. It is too long a period and the professional wrestlers can’t afford to waste their time off the wrestling ring; it is a national waste only.
The government has assured them justice. It is a good sign. But, the investigation should be over as quickly as possible. A further delay in justice delivery will not send the right message to the sportsmen and general public across the world. Let the controversy be cleared with transparency so that the sports community would be happy to hone their skill again and win more medals for India.
In the developed west, the sexual harassment in sports field has also been reported which were proved and the culprits were punished in many cases. Such incidents from different states in India were also reported by the Indian media in the past decades. The reported incidents of sexual harassment in sports are one of the reasons why a large number of middle class families feel unsafe to send their teen age daughters for sports training. India which has a rich tradition of morality, middle class values and spiritualism should take all measures to curb any sexual predators in the sports sector across the country. There should be special investigation agencies to keep a hawk eye on the behavior patterns of people involved in the development of sports in every state as many sports personnel do not report the incidents fearing the end of their career and the loss of job opportunities.
Sports officials and coaches should be picked up after careful scrutiny; their moral behavior and discipline is most important for the future and reputation of Indian sports. The sportsmen dedicate themselves and risk their life to win Olympic medals. Nobody should play with the life and career of the sportsmen as the sportsmen sacrifice their youth to bring glory for the country. Olympic medals in sports is the highest achievement which needs an altogether different sports culture in the country.
A safe atmosphere should be created for the sportsmen so that it would encourage middle class families to send their children for sports training. Sports sector is very important for nation building and it is very much attached to the nation’s glory. Media houses should engage specially trained journalists to report sports activities on and off the fields. This is high time for India to fight for more medals in the Olympic games.

Comments

TRENDING

Can free‑living Indian street dogs teach us about how to care for pet dogs?

By Daniel Ramp, Kapil Vishwas Patwardhan, Rosalie Chapple  We give our pet dogs shelter, veterinary care, affection, training and play. We decide when they eat, where they sleep, when they go outside, who they meet, and how they move through the world.

Grain vs. gasoline: How the global biofuel boom threatens India’s food and water security

By Rajiv Shah  A new report published by the international research and advocacy organization GRAIN has warned that the global resurgence of biofuels is triggering a dangerous dynamic of “more fuel, less food, more land grabs.” Driven by intersecting energy security concerns, geopolitical tensions, and aggressive decarbonization mandates, the expanding agrofuel industry is increasingly pitting corporate energy interests against global food security and indigenous land rights. 

Sikkim governor row: ALIFA asks centre to explain hurried appointment in Ankita Bhandari case

By A Representative   The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) on Saturday expressed “immense pain and outrage” that even after four years and a national uproar, justice has not been fully delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and that a ruling party politician facing allegations has been “gifted a high-ranking constitutional office.” In a statement, ALIFA extended “unflinching solidarity” to Ankita’s parents, who it said are “fighting for justice on the streets of Delhi,” and demanded that pending the CBI inquiry and judicial decision, the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor be subject to “immediate presidential review.”