India , A Force To Reckon With -388

        INDIA A FORCE TO RECKON WITH IN                                                FUTURE 

Tokyo of  2020 Olympics but  held in 2021 has been unique in more ways than one .

This  had  a deffered start because of the Covid Pandemic and the start itself was very much in  doubt  till  the very last day. 

10,305 participants from 206 Nations staying in  a Bio Bubble for close to 15 days or slightly more must itself have been a challenge . Added to this was the fact that the entire tournament had to be conducted without anyone to cheer from the stands  . The huge but Empty Stadiums without the cheer of the supporters must have given an eerie feeling .

Indians , prior to Tokyo Olympics have never had a good run at any of the previous  Olympics . Barring a Gold in  Hockey 41 Years back , our medals tally  have been few and far  between .

PV Sindhu's Magic at Rio seems to have brought about a change of fortune . Tokyo Olympics has exemplified that and brought about a Sea Change which seems to have permeated to other disciplines as well .

Badminton , Hockey for both Men and Women , Boxing , Wrestling , Javelin Throw , Golf , Archery , Shooting etc have all seen a close Competition and we have won or missed winning a medal by a whisker . We seem to have come of age in both  Traditional and The very much Non -Traditional sporting events .

Mirabai Chanu , PV Sinndhu  , Lovlina , Ravi Kumar have all been a revelation and and a few others are waiting in the wings before the finish line . The Mens Hockey Match yesterday for the Bronze Medal was a real case in point , to win 5 - 4 ater being 1 - 3 down  at one stage showed the Grit, Courage and Commitment of the players . They were simply outstanding .  Their Bronze Medal is worth more than their  weight in Gold . The women's Hockey team faught equally hard but sadly just missed getting the medal and faught till the very last  .

The sheer guts and belief in their abilities needs to be admired , more so because barring a very few , most come from tier 2 and 3 cities or its surrounding villages  which lack the basic  facilities that is a must for an athlete or a sports person  . Two Square meals a day has itself been a challenge for most . Quite a few seem to have spent many a night under a leaking roof over their head on many a rainy day and night  . Lovlina helping her family in the paddy fields with her parents . A proper road to her house is now being built before her return to the village and to facilitate the visit to her house by many the  VIP s who will be visiting her on her return home  or Mirabai Chanu collecting firewood to make a living or hitchhiking  her way to the training center some  30 kms away to save on transportation costs and use the money for food , highlights their resolve and commitment to the sport which  they hold so close to their heart .

The games are not over as yet , a few more medals are on the cards .  Our PM , Sports Ministry , Government of Orissa , Former and Present Sports Ministers , Coaches , Officials and various sports bodies  need to be Congratulated for their efforts . Make no mistake , we have announced to the World that with Tokyo 2020

WE AS A SPORTING NATION HAVE ARRIVED 

Well done India , Looking  Forward to  More and     More Such Laurels in Future .

PS : Over the entire day yesterday , all TV Channels except ofcourse the Famous 4 Tamil channels were covering the Tokyo Olympics and the stellar deeds of the Indian athletes and the celebration from across India be it  SONEPAT , AMRITSAR , SHILLONG , PALAGHAT OR RANCHI . 

And guess what the Tamil channels were covering , they were busy with an Actors face off with the authorities over the payment of Tax for a Luxury Car he has imported . REEL actors earn Money in Millions by posing as someone totally different from what they are in their REAL life . Anyone importing  Luxury Goods , has to pay Tax , as simple as that , period .

Mirabai Chanu after winning the Silver Medal as a Weight Lifter  was  playing host to the Many  Lorry Drivers who had  offered her a lift  in their lorry while she made her daily visit to the Training Center during her training days , just goes to show us the stuff that these sports persons are  really made of and the true colour of  our Multi Million Dollar Actors and the much admired role models  .