Ahead of the Olympics, some Indian athletes want to use their influence to take their personal coaches to Tokyo. It is unfortunate that some of these athletes are also succeeding in their plans.
The most unfortunate thing is that athletes whose medal hopes are very slim, have been allowed to take their personal coach. Manika Batra may be a star table tennis player of the Commonwealth Games but winning a round or two at the Olympic level will be no less than a big achievement but her demand to have a personal coach along with her has been accepted.
The demand of a boxer Amit Panghal to take his personal coach along with him was turned down. Amit is a strong contender for a medal this time, who is the top-ranked player in the world apart from winning silver in the World Championship and gold in the World Cup. They have been discouraged by these officers even before they can perform. Bhavani Devi, who qualified for the Olympics in fencing, had to bow down to the insistence of the authorities to take her mother along. She is now being taken to Tokyo as the manager of fencing team.
This time the names of many capable coaches have been cut. Once Pullela Gopichand in badminton and Jaspal Rana used to have big flair in the shooting first as a player and then as a coach. This time their students will also be in Tokyo but their names have been removed from the list going to Tokyo. The name of the Korean coach who is coaching PV Sindhu has been cleared. Sai Praneeth’s Indonesian coach has also got the green signal.
Two physios will also go along. Similarly, once Sania Mirza also had a lot of running in the IOA and the Sports Ministry, but today the situation is that there is no coach with her. This time she will compete in women doubles along with Ankita Raina. Zeeshan Ali’s name not being in the list is shocking news.
It is true that weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is a medal prospect but the names of three coaches and two physios have been cleared along with her. O.P. Baishya, President of the Weightlifting Federation of India, is an influential person and a very close to IOA. He used his influence to send more support staff along with Mirabai.
Indian Handball Association President Anandeshwar Pandey was making a lot of hue and cry that if no Taekwondo player is going to Tokyo, why is its president Namdev being sent. He had even said that he would not release his checks as treasurer of the IOA. Eventually the IOA came under pressure and Namdev’s name was dropped and Anandeshwar Pandey’s name was inserted. Since then Anandeshwar Pandey is calm or to say that he is very happy. Perhaps he has also forgotten that on the basis of the logic on which he has got Namdev’s name cut, he himself is on the same boat. Now the matter of sending Madhukant Pathak as a manager with the athletic team has become hot. Madhukar was the treasurer of the organizing committee of the National Games which were held in Ranchi and there have been many serious allegations against him. Until he is cleared of the charges, there is no justification for him to be made manager of an athletics team that is expected to win two to three medals this time at the Olympics.
The issue of players placing arbitrary conditions is not new in Indian sports. Nine years ago, at London Olympics, Sania Mirza was successful in making her mother Naseema the manager of the tennis team. Three years ago in the CWG, Saina Nehwal had even warned the officials to keep her father in the sports village otherwise she would withdraw from the team. Here they should understand very well that they are the ambassadors of their country during these games. Their behavior in a foreign country can tarnish the image of the country.