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More Olympic views from our readers By APARISIM GHOSH September 14, 2000 Web posted at 3:00 p.m. Hong Kong time, 3:00 a.m. EDT Readers continue to write in with their theories on why South Asian countries fare so poorly in the Olympics. The subject clearly touches a raw nerve. It's hard to swallow the fact that, as the subcontinent's athletes limber up for the Games this weekend, there's not a single gold-medal prospect among them -- indeed, it would be a minor miracle if anybody brought home a bronze.
"I think it is outrageous and offensive that people really believe that we are disadvantaged because of physical stature and (of all things) intelligence. This was the basic tone of the excerpts in your last article, and while it is reflective of the generally low self-esteem that we have, it is still without any foundation. For years our sportsmen have battled with and destroyed individuals and teams from all over the world in a number of sports. The problem is that the focus and the funding are directed only at those sports with which we have a history -- cricket, squash, field hockey. Our sports stars, like those of EVERY other nation in the world, are sports stars because they are blessed with a certain physical and mental ability that the rest of us lack. Even in the U.S., a country where sports are more sacred then anything else, the Olympic athletes are not everyday people. They are bigger, faster, stronger and often smarter than the average American. To imply that this kind of individual does not exist in the subcontinent is ridiculous. The problem comes down to the process of finding and nurturing this talent. Pakistan, for example, is a country where you see men who are 7 feet tall opening doors at a 5-star hotel instead of being recruited by a sports team or league. Every day we witness great feats of strength and endurance that go completely unnoticed. The next time you see a 60-year-old man carrying a load on his back that looks like it could crush an elephant, think about what South Asians are really capable of. If resources cannot be dedicated to the cultivation of such talent, and if people with such ability are not even exposed to sports at which they can excel, then how can we expect to win a gold medal? Put it this way: Tiger Woods would not be where he is today if he grew up in the subcontinent." Mohammed Hadi "No matter how many lame excuses I can come up with, the fact is that we Indians are smart but very lazy people." Tripurari Jee "It's really a shame that a fifth of the world's population doesn't expect a single gold medal [in Sydney]. This is happening because of the way stupid politicians -- and people in general -- treat sports in this region. How come Africa with stunning poverty, bags lots of gold medals, and the 300-million-strong Indian middle class can't get a single one?" Anton John Pillai "I remember what my parents used to say when I was a child: "PARHO GAI LIKHO GAI TO BANO GAI NAWAB KHAILOO GAI KOODO GAI TO HO GAI KHAWAR" (If you read and write, you'll become a rich man; if you play, you'll become a beggar) So how can we do good in sports?" Waseem Malik The Subcontinental Drift message board -- sound-off about the news in South Asia to TIME Write to TIME at mail@web.timeasia.com Search for recent Asia Buzz
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