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Home , Dhyan Chand, Gagan Narang, History of field hockey, Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Norman Pritchard

Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707

Olympic Games and Indian Participation - An Overview

*Gurubasavaraja.G. Physical Education Director. S A V T Govt First Grade College Kudligi.

Abstract

This paper attempts to study Indian participation in summer since 1920, and it’s new unifying identity designed by home-grown branding agency. was first represented in the Summer Games in the 1900 Olympics. was the sole representative from India but he was able to win two silver medals, one from the men's 200 meters and another in the 200 meter hurdles. Olympic historians have agreed to award Pritchard's medals to India despite India's lack of independence at the time. India first sent a team to officially represent them in 1920 and they have been in every Summer Olympics since then despite the fact that the Indian Olympic Association was not established until 1927. It was recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in the same year.

Their first Olympic medals since 1900 came when the Indian team won the gold in May 26, 1928 in , . This was their first taste of Olympic gold but certainly will not be the last. As a matter of fact, India has won a gold medal in the Summer Games since 1928 all the way to 1956. In 2012, won the silver medal for (men's freestyle 66 kg) and became India's second multiple individual Olympic medalist since Norman Pritchard with his first being a bronze in the 2008 Olympics for the same sport and weight class. In most accounts of Olympic history across the world, India's Olympic journey is a mere footnote. This book is a corrective. Drawing on newly available and hitherto unused archival sources, it demonstrates that India was an important strategic outpost in the Olympic movement that started as a global phenomenon at the turn of the twentieth century. Among the questions the authors answer are: When and how did the Olympic ideology take root in India? Who were the early players and why did they appropriate Olympic sport to further their political ambitions? What explains India's eight consecutive gold medals in Olympic men's hockey between 1928 and 1956 and what altered the situation drastically, so much so that the team failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games? India and the Olympics also explores why the Indian elite became obsessed with the Olympic ideal at the turn of the twentieth century and how this obsession relates to India's quest for a national and international identity. It conclusively validates the contention that the essence of Olympism does not reside in medals won, records broken or rights sold as ends in themselves. Particularly for India, the Olympic

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movement, including the relevant records and statistics, is important because it provides a unique prism to understand the complex evolution of modern Indian society

Key words: Olympic, medal, athlete, social, competitive , IOA

Introduction

India is a vibrant country that has always carried a fevered pitch and fervent excitement for sports. Yet as of this writing if one is to pit the Olympic medals ever earned by the great Michael Phelps against the all- time total of India, the number that separates the two can be counted on one hand—with the disparity between gold-medal totals even greater in Phelps' favor.

Considering India has had a bit of a head start—with the Baltimore Bullet's first Olympic race coming in 2000—it is a sadly comical tale. Different reasons have been insinuated for the country's lack of propensity to stand atop a podium, so let's touch many of the common explanations and then at the end try to offer at least a modicum of solutions for the future. No one in history has ever claimed any government is perfect. For the most part, the mad men ruling the roost seem to have their own agendas at hand. One need look no further than India, where government officials of the developing country quite literally turn their backs on millions of competitors. Without going down a list of Parliamentary names that none of us have ever heard of, it is safe to say their government has undoubtedly failed their athletes by the lack of subsidized training, facilities and gear. India Today reported that 2008 Olympic gold medalist echoed these sentiments as he tore into his country's sports infrastructure. The raw talent can only take these athletes so far, since support and encouragement—whether financial, emotional or physical— are essential aspects that any athlete requires, and without them, his cause can be hopeless. P.T. Usha, arguably the greatest track and field star the country has produced, was reduced to tears due to governmental negligence. 2012 Olympic bronze-medalist hopeful was also a victim, as she was shocked by the substandard food during the National Championships. For a country that boasts itself as a future world superpower and carries the fourth-most billionaires, these acts are inexcusable and boggle the mind.

Keep in mind that although India's overall GDP may be in the bottom quartile of the world, its administration is far from destitute, as many believe. The country, along with sponsors, funnels billions of dollars into , while thousands of brutal testimonials on the living and training conditions that other gifted competitors are forced to endure can break one's heart. It is as if the nation has resigned itself to its fate before even lacing up sneakers. Of course there is a twisted reason behind it all. The depressing mentality that the government has is that there is "no point to encourage it." The money (which is not always spent wisely, evidenced by the upper and lower classes drifting away from one other at an

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alarming rate) comes from over a billion citizens that follow cricket as their second religion covers their bases. Alas, that does not always work, especially in this day and age, when they get embarrassed in prime time by nations with resources far less than theirs. We agree that there are more pressing matters that the country needs to take care of instead of shaving .03 seconds off someone's 100-meter mark, but is the money that is not going to the athlete always headed toward a more noble cause? What if they worked toward a grass-roots movement that helped develop and foster the rural inner-city children with a structured support system?. The country needs to understand that an escape through sports can be a solution for the impoverished and raise their standard of living. Imagine the hundreds of millions of talented individuals that would stop wasting their gifts, if only given a ripple of hope.

Objective:

This paper intends to explore India was an important strategic outpost in the Olympic movement that started as a global phenomenon at the turn of the twentieth century. of sporting activities in the country, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)

Indian at Olympic inception of IOA

The International Olympic Day is celebrated every year since 1948 on June 23 to commemorate the beginning of the modern Olympics, which first took place on the same date in 1894. The day is a celebration of sports, health and well being. There are many events held during the week leading to the Olympic Day - most prominently the 'Olympic Day Run'. However, this year, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the athletes around the world to go virtual with their fitness sessions instead. The Olympics, too, through its official social media handles, is raising awareness on mental and physical well being during the 2020 edition of the Olympic Day. It organized live training and fitness sessions with many leading athletes around the world in a programme called 'Olympic Day Workout'. In its initial years, the Indian Olympic Association selected sportspersons to represent India at the Olympic Games. Subsequently, by 1946-47, the Indian Olympic Association took responsibility only to send the Indian team to the Olympics (principally, this meant arranging transport, board, and accommodation), while the separate National Sports Federations for each sport were responsible for selecting and training competitors for their sport. Reflecting this, ahead of the 1948 Olympics, the IOA Council agreed that a team representing athletics, swimming, weight lifting, wrestling, boxing, football and hockey, with officials for each of these sports, and a Chief Manager, would be entered for the 1948 Olympics. And so, from 1948 onwards, India began sending teams representing several sports – each selected by its respective National Sports Federations. One of the main early challenges IOA faced was to secure

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funding, so that it could send the National Team to the Olympics and finance the related costs of transport, room, and board.

Over the years, the IOA undertook wider outreach with several National Sports Federations, and became a governance body that coordinated the sending of multiple sports teams – each selected by their respective National Sports Federations – to the Olympic Games. Later, the IOA also started sending National Teams to Games of the CGF and OCA.

Under normal circumstances, the athletes and fans would currently be gearing up for the 32nd summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were scheduled to take place between July 24-August 9. However, the COVID-19 crisis has forced the postponement of the Games to the next year.

As the world celebrates Olympic Day, we take a look at India's history at the Games. The country has won 28 medals at the summer Olympics, which include nine gold, seven silver and 12 bronze medals.

The First Medal:

India's first medal at the summer Olympics has remained a topic of dispute. In the nation's first appearance at the Olympics in 1900, Norman Pritchard, the sole athlete representing India, won two silver medals in the track-and-field events. However, even as the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) lists Pritchard to have competed for Great Britan, the official record of International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to regard Pritchard as having competed for India. Thus, the official Olympic record dates India's first medal at the Games back in 1900. Norman Pritchard was born in Calcutta in British India.

The domination in Hockey:

India had to wait for 28 years for their next Olympic medal. However, the 1928 edition triggered a series of Gold medals for India in Men's Hockey. The hockey team eventually won the gold medals in 1932 (), 1936 (Berlin), 1948 () and 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne), 1964 (Tokyo) and 1980 (). Throughout this time, the hockey team also won the silver and bronze medals in various editions.

Until the 1960 Olympics in Rome, the Indian men's hockey team boasted of a stunning winning streak of 30-0 at the Olympics. There may have been a significant fall in India's performances in hockey since its

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last medal win in 1980, but India's record still stands as the best in the category, with eight gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Individual successes:

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was the first athlete from independent India to win a medal at the Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in men's freestyle bantamweight.

The country endured a 40-year wait for its next individual glory at the Olympics. Tennis star ended the wait with a bronze medal in the 1996 edition in Atlanta. Four years later, became the first Indian female athlete to win an Olympic medal, as she secured a bronze in women's 69 kg weightlifting event.

At the turn of the century, India saw many individual medallists at the Olympics. The nation finally rejoiced in 2008 when Abhinav Bindra (shooting) became the first athlete to win a gold medal. He achieved the feat in men's 10m air rifle category.

In terms of medals, India's best outing at the Olympics was in 2012, when six athletes secured a podium finish. These included Vijay Kumar (shooting), Sushil Kumar (wrestling), (badminton), Mary Kom (boxing), (shooting) and (wrestling).

List of Olympic medals won by India:

Name/Team Edition Sport Event Medal Norman Pritchard 1900 Olympics Athletics Men's 200-metre Silver Norman Pritchard 1900 Olympics Athletics Men's 200-metre hurdles Silver Indian Men's Hockey 1928 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Indian Men's Hockey 1932 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Indian Men's Hockey 1936 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Indian Men's Hockey 1948 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team

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Indian Men's Hockey 1952 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Khashaba Dadasaheb 1952 Olympics Wrestling Men's Freestyle Bronze Jadhav bantamweight Indian Men's Hockey 1956 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Indian Men's Hockey 1960 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Silver Team Indian Men's Hockey 1964 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Indian Men's Hockey 1968 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Bronze Team Indian Men's Hockey 1972 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Bronze Team Indian Men's Hockey 1980 Olympics Field Hockey Field Hockey Gold Team Leander Paes 1996 Olympics Tennis Men's Singles Bronze Karnam Malleswari 2000 Olympics Weightlifting Women's 69 kg Bronze Rajyawardhan Singh 2004 Olympics Shooting Men's Double Trap Silver Rathore Abhinav Bindra 2008 Olympics Shooting Men's 10m air rifle Gold 2008 Olympics Boxing Middleweight Bronze Sushil Kumar 2008 Olympics Wrestling Men's freestyle 66 kg Bronze Vijay Kumar 2012 Olympics Shooting Men's 25m rapid fire Silver pistol Saina Nehwal 2012 Olympics Badminton Women's Singles Bronze Mary Kom 2012 Olympics Boxing Women's Bronze Gagan Narang 2012 Olympics Shooting Men's 10m air rifle Bronze Sushil Kumar 2012 Olympics Wrestling Men's freestyle 66 kg Silver Yogeshwar Dutt 2012 Olympics Wrestling Men's freestyle 60 kg Bronze P.V. Sindhu 2016 Olympics Badminton Women's Singles Silver 2016 Olympics Wrestling Women's freestyle 58 kg Bronze

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• India's first Olympian Norman Pritchard went on to star in Hollywood and Broadway.

• At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Indian athletes had to march behind Great Britain's flag as it was still a British colony.

• India is the country in the world with the lowest number of total Olympic medals per capita.

• The majority of Olympic medals won by Indian athletes is in the sport of field hockey.

• The first individual Olympic gold medal won by an Indian athlete was by Abhinav Bindra in 2008 (shooting).

While the regime in India is bent on pumping money elsewhere (maybe into their back pockets), the biggest hindrance to working out a winning resolution for the sports division (and many other problems) is corruption. Just like a weed, it runs rampant on all levels, and when one is stomped out, another springs up. Corruption, defined as "the misuse of public power for private benefit" runs rampant on all levels. and according to the world-renowned Corruptions Perceptions Index, in 2011 India was still in the red zone.

Cricket matches are routinely fixed, alongside politicians and other head honchos who are indiscreetly involved in the selection committee of several sports. This included a recent hoopla for tennis during the lead-up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

The controversy involved several higher-ups forcing the hand of several Indian players in playing with partners they did not want to. At the 2010 , the selection process was considered such a sham that, later, 13 of the winners of the (highest honor for an Indian athlete) along with as many as 25 other international athletes created an uproar due to the corrupt practices of the sports bodies that control the infrastructure. One of the main reasons some athletes got snubbed and even threatened? Simply because they asked for monetary help. I'm not going to even attempt to say that I understand the root of the problems of corruption, but I do know that it can sometimes be a cultural norm. Having said that, if everyone is held more accountable with stiffer penalties and indictments from external institutions, India may be able to clean it up, possibly resulting in a more balanced budget for the sports division.

Covert Affairs

In a country where spheres of influence sharply divide, many times partaking in extracurricular activities has to be undertaken covertly. Ask boxer Mary Kom, India's latest hope for a medal at the 2012 Games.

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As a female, her parents strictly forbade her from entering the squared circle, and it was only after they found her picture in a newspaper from a tournament victory were they able to somewhat come to terms with it. Along with gender lines, as a traditional and socially conservative republic, many sports that can "expose" the human body are simply out of reach for Indians.

Tennis sensation withdrew from the Bangalore Open in 2008 amid concerns for her safety regarding her attire. Since then, there have been no WTA events sanctioned in India. Societal pressures from all sides for both sexes can hinder athletic progress as well, with certain societies needing to be married by a certain age, among other things.

Royal Pains

In addition to social complications, the straightforward basics can turn out to be a royal pain.

What do I mean? Just getting to the training zone can become an all-day affair. Additionally, the country's playing fields are dwindling, as cricket legend lamented that "a small country like Holland has over 200 astro turfs, but in India we have just 15."

Combining that with poor food habits, inept coaching, terrible rehab facilities, increasing competition in schools, shortage of exercise with physical education, long commutes from work and a lack of awareness of many Olympic sports results in many talents getting wasted.

The risk outweigh the reward.

As a hasty generalization, if a youth growing up in India is wanting to carve out a career in sports (save for cricket) it is a strong possibility that he/she is considered to be breaking bad. The culture in India is one that seems to have an absence of pride in doing a "physical" job as opposed to a more "mental" one (though one could argue winning at sports takes greater mental strength). The power of education is king, and sports are only seen as recreational activities for the millions of youth who are striving to be at the very top of their class in a country where there are more than 100 million unemployed. Time spent on the field could mean lesser opportunities for the future economic stability for the household. Generally encouragement seems to be given only after achievement, so no matter how gifted one can be at a particular event, he may be forced to give it up for a greater chance at a stable well-paid job. In a Western country, if an average teenager is to spend several years training for a medal and it doesn't work out, he or she still has a great shot at a middle-class life. If the same person tried that in India and wasted years of time that could have been spent on education or training in the workforce, the middle class would be yet another faded dream.

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True Blood

Bringing national pride through sports can become a unifying lining in a country where each state harbors underlying tones of racism toward one another. In India, each state has different languages and customs; even the people look different.

No doubt the caste system is a form of prejudice, but in a region where tensions run high, sports— especially the Olympics, where patriotism is at its finest—can truly unite a nation divided by class. The nation lauding and recognizing the value of all its athletes is the first step; cultivating the young person seeing his hero win is the next.

Conclusion

India, in their long history at the Olympic Games, has managed to win 28 medals with field hockey being its most successful sport. India first participated in the 1920 and have participated in every single edition of the mega-event since then. Off the 28 Olympic medals, India have won 9 gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze. Apart from field hockey, which has garnered the country eight gold medals, Abhinav Bindra, shooting, is the only other gold India can account for. In the previous Olympic Games, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, India won only two medals - a silver by PV Sindhu in badminton and a bronze by Sakshi Malik in wrestling.

The Tokyo Olympics was supposed to be held this year but was postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Owing to the postponement, the qualification period for the Games is still going on. India's standing has grown in all its Olympic sports, along with huge success.

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