Isn't it common in sport to hear that one performs best when there is no pressure or nothing to lose? Perhaps Ashwini Ponappa and Jwala Gutta took a cue from this to perform at their optimum best and win a gold in the badminton doubles category at the CWG 2010.
While the focus and expectations were on Saina Nehwal, it was conveniently forgotten that the Indian badminton contingent had other medal hopefuls. Ashwini candidly in an interview later confessed that being away from the spotlight helped her and Jwala to focus on their game, especially after a string of controversies had dogged Jwala, relating to her link ups with former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin.
If we closely observe, none of our medal winners in recent times were even heard of before their achievement, with the exception of Abhinav Bindra. If Karnam Malleswari did the unthinkable at Sydney, by saving India from the blushes of not winning a single medal, Rajyavardhan Rathore held India's flag at Athens 2004 with a silver medal. In India, no matter what we do, we are recognized by the eventual outcome, whether good or bad. This is where sportspersons would make good administrators, as they would understand the psyche and the mindset of an athlete.
Politicians running sporting bodies in our country are the biggest hindrance to the overall development of Olympic sport. Despite having the backing of the government, they have done nothing to develop facilities and nurture talent, which can morally affect the athletes' performance on the field. Hockey India is the biggest example of the current scenario where the government officials running the ship, are ignorant of the fact that there is a crisis which needs to be sorted. Often the players are treated shabbily, accommodated in dingy hotels and guest houses, given poor allowances which give them absolutely no motivation to perform. The pressure is always there on them because they don't have any other avenue to utilize their talent, as a result of which they are often forced into thinking, what if they don't perform?
Once there is a strong backing, it automatically helps them to focus on the job ahead and not worry about things that just can't be controlled. This is where someone like an Anil Kumble running the KSCA will help bring in. We need people who think rationally and not just think about how they are going to secure a new five year term in office!
-Shashank Kishore is a die hard sports fan and an engineer by education. He works for a leading sports website.
