When you have both Roots and the Wings- the stories of Indian Olympians and the lessons they taught the Country
You can have either wings or your roots, someone said.
What if you have both ….
You soar high, and you are still rooted…
The country was on a high...
121 years jinx is broken.
India got a gold medal on track and fields.
Best performance in 4 decades.
Yes, I am talking of India’s Olympic journey this year.
Have you noticed the newfound confidence in the generation of sportspersons?
Neeraj made history and look at the boy.
His humility and his rootedness.
First, he acknowledges the country’s eternal quest for gold in the track and field event and remembered the legacies.
He took the baton and delivered the results and then, with humility, expressed his gratitude to his predecessors who dreamt of doing the same for the country.
He says, “Milkha Singh had this dream of an Indian athlete winning the gold at Olympics. I dedicate this medal to him and P T Usha.”.
Talks volume about the man, his humility, and character.
He does not stop there.
He spoke about his most commendable competitor, acknowledged his talent, and said it was not his day.
He also spoke about the world no 1 Johannes Vetter, who had an early exit, and he said: “I didn’t say anything then, now I am sad for him.”
Then he referred to Abhinav Bindra, “ joining him (Bindra) is like a dream for me .”
He spoke about his friend who supported him in the early days.
He never forgot his roots despite having the crown of glory.
He understood the importance of leading from the front like a true leader and said,
“No one can now say India can not win Olympic gold in athletics. We can, and more athletes will also do.”
So, you tread the path your predecessors have created, respect and remember them and create a path for the next generations.
A lesson for all of us is not to forget our roots and lose our humility.
Follow the path, but it is even better to create one for others to follow.
When even a bronze medal was elusive for India, the guys and gals were not happy with the bronze; they wanted gold, be it Bajrang Punia or Lovelina.
Bajrang did not give up the chase even with a knee injury, and look at the character of the man, he said,
“I apologize to the nation for not meeting the expectations. I’ll get you the gold in 2024.”
The country is indebted to the man; he need not be apologetic.
The doctor advised him to rest; he said that treatment could wait, but the medal will not.
When he was asked in a TV interview while playing his last match if he was extra cautious about his injured knee, he replied that initially, he was, then he decided not to hold him back and gave his best.
They taught us never to settle for less and always strive for the best.
Hurdles will come up during the journey; it’s up to us whether to buckle down and give up or rise above the adversaries.
Let the temporary setback not deter your ultimate goal.
Live for a bigger dream, not only for personal goals.
A goal for a larger purpose will keep you going even when you are facing tough times.
During the semi-final, Ravi Dahiya, who got a silver medal in wrestling, was bitten by Kazakhstan wrestler Nurislam Sanayev.
Later on, he talked about the incident, “It is a tiny thing. I left memories of it on the mat.” He added, “I don’t have any hard feelings for him.”
Dahiya said that the Kazakh wrestler had apologized to him.
Lesson to be learned, do not get bogged down with the small hiccups and carry them along.
There is nothing more liberating than forgiving someone, even an unfair opponent.
Lovelina, in an interview with a private news channel, was asked how she can manage to smile all the time. Is she not tense?
She said that it is her job, she loves doing this, and it is her duty is to give her best every time, so what is the point of succumbing to pressure and showing a gloomy face.
She also said that her only focus in the ring is to hit an opponent and win.
Talking about the future, she said that she is looking forward to Paris 2024.
She will start working on her weak points and try to bring Gold to the country from Paris.
The lesson here is to play your game with fun but not live comfortably with your present laurels, be aware of your own weaknesses and prepare for the future.
Talk about Mirabai Chanu- what a story!
You would have seen her taking food sitting on the floor with her family members on social media.
Actor Madhavan reacted; this can not be true; he was shocked.
After winning, she wanted to reward herself and went out to have her favorite Pizza.
She went back to her home in Manipur after the Olympics.
She was again seen sitting on the floor with her family members and savoring her home food.
That picture stole million hearts.
But the story does not end there.
She called 150 Truck drivers, facilitated them, offered them lunch and a gift.
The reason, when she had no means of personal commutation, she used to take rides from those truck drivers on the way to her practice.
Time to show gratitude and payback.
That picture touched my heart.
Lesson emanated, never deny the small happiness when the time comes.
Have your slice of pizza.
Do not forget your roots, your home, your family.
Be grateful to the people who contributed to your life and success when you become successful.
It takes a village to create a champion, and they deserve an honorable mention.
Last but not least, our shuttle queen Sindhu, what a redemption!
When she lost in the semi-final to Tai Tzu Ying, she and the entire country were heartbroken.
She was in emotional turmoil.
The next day she played for the Bronze.
In her own words,
“After semis, I was really sad, I was in tears, but my coach said it is not over yet. There were mixed emotions if I should be sad or happy, but Park told one thing. He said, ‘there is a lot of difference between a fourth position and a bronze,’ and that really hit me”.
“I went with the mindset that I have to give my 100 percent and get that medal.”
That’s called a comeback!
Sindhu, later on, supported Tai Tzu, who lost in the final.
That is called losing like a champion!
Tai Tzu recounts,
“That sincere encouragement made me cry. I was really sad because I tried really hard. Thank you again for your support and encouragement. Thank you all for walking with me till now,” she added.
The lesson, there is always a second time.
When you are low, you need that extra push to play another day and win, and you can do it.
Champion loses gracefully.
It is not personal ego at play; end of the day whoever plays better on that day wins.
Those stories of individual heroics, but that’s not all.
How can I not mention the Indian Hockey team, their grit, and their dedication?
What a revival!
After 41 years of lull, you reclaim your own turf; what could be more fulfilling?
And the female hockey team, what a bunch of fighters, even opponents acknowledged that.
“What an amazing game, what an amazing opponent.”
I got goosebumps many times writing about these heroes.
Nothing is more uplifting than the story of the underdogs winning.
Most of the medalists are from poor, lower middle class or middle-class families; their parents probably implanted the big dreams, they lived those.
Sports unite people; it united the country at least for few days.
Because people invest in sports emotionally.
They forget the barriers of sex, caste, creed, religion( even some black sheep commented on Vandana, I believe they were abysmally outnumbered).
India’s brave daughters were equal partners in this victory, if not more.
And there were many who lost the podium just by a whisker.
In the current gloom and doom situation, the last couple of days were filled with grit, courage, the dedication of these extraordinary stories.
I hope this just does not become another passing-by event and gets lost in oblivion; let's emulate the spirit of the sports.
