The expectations of 1.4 Crore Indians, (I’m not sure if the figure has gone up since I last read about the population – if so, I stand corrected. I know it’s unlikely to come down though) weighed heavily on the shoulders of India’s sportspersons at the Paris Olympics which are drawing to a close.
Not so much on the Indian Cricket team touring Sri Lanka under a new head Coach – its first after a triumphant T20 WC. For them perhaps the weight lies in their pockets and not on their shoulders. How lucky for them that the bonus of an athlete who runs after a ball on a big field is much more than the training budget of an Athlete who sweats a mat or bites the bullet!
Some members of the Olympic contingent of athletes could shrug them off with last-minute weight loss routines – routines that we common Indians cannot even imagine, even though we need to, given our recent tendency to obesity – others could not. There were a few hits, but many near misses leading to drip irrigation of the Sportsman spirit among the populace.
But the weight of expectations goes beyond any weighing scale. It enters the realm of the psyche and weighs it down like no other. As you know the brain weighs around 1300 grams, Another 1300 grams is added by the expectations of countrymen, and a similar weight by the politics in sport.
Sometimes the training routine, diets, dedication of their coaches, and the sports person themselves can overcome this gluten and lumpen, but it’s a tough ask. Those who do, like Manu Bhaker, the Indian Hockey Team and especially Sreejesh, Neeraj Chopra, and Aman Sehrawat, have lifted the weight off the shoulders of 1.4 Crore Indians.
And do you think the population has become slimmer? Maybe, but not enough. it is still looking for a more robust hero-to-zero ratio, but does very little about it, other than act as cheerleaders. That is perhaps because the athletes have aspirations while it has expectations!
Vinesh, reports say, was overweight by 100 grams, which is less than the weight of the silver or gold medal she was disqualified from holding in the 50 Kg category. The history of why she competed in this category, is quite bulky in itself and self-explanatory – I don’t want to add to the weight of this article.
After the disappointment of Vinesh Phogat, How did Aman Sehrawat lose 4.6 kilos in 10 hours? is a good read. Apparently, the process began with a one-and-a-half-hour mat session during which the two senior coaches engaged him in standing wrestling. This was followed by a one-hour hot-bath session. At 30 minutes past midnight, he hit the gym for an hour-long nonstop run on the treadmill. He was then given a 30-minute break, followed by five sessions of a 5-minute sauna bath. Following the end of the final session, Sehrawat lost 3.6 kilos. He was then given a massage, followed by light jogging and a 15-minute running session. By 4:30 am, his weight had reduced to 56.9 kilos, 100 grams less than the permissible limit, as the coach heaved a sigh of relief. In between this weight-loss session, Sehrawat, who eventually did not sleep after that, was given lukewarm water with lemon and honey and a bit of coffee to drink.
That’s a WOW by any standards. Can we match it?
Interestingly India is hoping/planning to bring the Five Rings of Fire home in 2036. That is indeed ambitious and makes for another Wow! It would involve a lot of contracting for the expansion of facilities, including for medals, a favourite and lucrative pass time for all, barring athletes. Weight gain will start with the bid and end with the closing Ceremony, We hope and of course, pray that the medals will not have to be given away but will be returned to India if India is successful in its bid.
For the sake of the contractors, the cement, steel and plastic industries, the architects, the media houses, the migrant workers, the policy and paper pushers, the GDP, and last but not least, the athletes, we hope it is. We understand that by that time, cricket will also be a part of the Games. And that’s where the money lies, both as a noun and as a verb!
Dreams Die First by Harold Robbins is indeed a good read!