The country wide despair and despondency that was witnessed following Team India's humiliating defeat in the recently concluded Asia Cup, 2022 highlights the sheer integrating power of sports and games. Indeed in our country there are strong cultural, emotional and patriotic bonds despite some wide ranging diversities. The pan- India euphoria that was generated after India's chest thumping performance at the Commonwealth Games, 2022 is also a pointer to the fact that sports and games bind the Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari with one thread.
A casual glance at India's performance in the CW Games of 2022 throws light on some outstanding feats. In wrestling and weightlifting the medal tally was impressive- 12 and 10 medals respectively. While Saikhom Mirabai Chanu of Manipur has lived upto the high standards of perfection set by Mary Kom, Jeremy Lalrinnunga , a teen aged Mizoram boy, endured excruciating pain on his way to a sensational gold medal winning performance (shattering hitherto held weightlifting records) in the Men's 67 KG competition.
Winning medals in many unconquered disciplines (until now) has been the glorious hallmark of Indian contingents at the CW Games of 2022. In Lawn bowl 'female team event', a four member Indian team has won Gold for the first time. Nayanmoni Saikia of Assam is among the three other players who have brought unprecedented laurels for the country.
Avinash Sable, the 'wonder man' from Indian Army, had created history after winning the Silver Medal in the 'steeplechase' competition. His tenacity and resilience resulted in him becoming the first Indian ever to win in the steeple chase category thereby demolishing the complete Kenyan monopoly in this discipline.
Much to the chagrin of Indian sports lovers, the legacy of Dhyan Chand had been tarnished by Indian Hockey players and the Indian Hockey Federation in the last three decades (reaching nadir) after India's Olympic Championship triumph way back in 1980 at Moscow. The subsequent abysmal performances had doused the spirit of Indian hockey lovers completely. Thankfully, the Odisha Government came to the rescue at this critical phase and signed a 100 crore deal in 2018 with 'Hockey India' to sponsor the men's and women's hockey teams over the next 5 years.
Describing the 5-year sponsorship deal as Odisha's gift to the nation, Naveen Patnaik, the visionary politician has revitalized and invigorated Indian hockey apart from setting an example to other politicians to give priority to national interest and go beyond 'vote bank politics'. The Hockey players are not from Odisha alone and today owing to Patnaik's patronage, the Indian hockey teams-both men and women- stand rejuvenated and energized showcasing their brilliance and skill. After 41 years, the Indian Hockey (men's) team stood on the podium to win the Bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. The women team too had put up a valiant performance and lost the bronze by a whisker. And in this years' CWG, both the male and female teams have won Silver and Bronze medal (respectively) and won the hearts of Indian connoisseurs of sports. Needless to say, this turn-around in hockey has been possible due to the financial and logistic support and patronage of the Odisha Government under the dynamic leadership of Naveen Patnaik.
Going beyond the arena of Commonwealth Games, a casual glance at the sports scenario showcases how sports and games evoke patriotism and consolidate our national unity. At a time when a lot of disturbing trends are visible creating rifts and tremor to our age-old social harmony, sports and games act as an integrating thread making us stand on the same platform as Indians by obliterating all artificial human barriers. When India became the cricket champion in 2011 and 1983 and when P.V Sindhu, Nikhat Zareen or Deepak Punia had won gold medals there was rejoicing across the nation. This magnifies the power of games in uniting India despite the rich diversities that characterize our great country.
The anti-cricket lobby, often decry the colossal wastage of national labour on the days when India plays a cricket match as works in offices virtually come to a grinding halt. But let us view the entire gamut from this perspective. Against the backdrop of insurgent activities carried out by certain people and the dastardly activities carried out by certain political or ethnic groups with a view to destroy and destabilize the age-old unity and integrity of the country, when one finds the people in general and youths in particular glued to television sets and celebrating an Indian victory with gay abandon (even in the remotest villages), it indeed becomes evident that the bonds of unity and feelings of nationalism and secularism are strong enough to hold the country together.
We, the Indian connoisseurs of sports and games, feel that our Motherland emerges further as a sporting nation consolidating our national unity and annihilating all differences in the name of caste, creed, language and religion.
Love for one's motherland and patriotic feelings remain one of the most cardinal and sacred human feelings. This is true for all individuals across ages and countries and this feeling shall remain inseparable from the human psyche until the 'Day of Judgment.'
I wind up with the immortal lines of Walter Scott, "Breathes there the man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said? This is my own, my native land?'
Gautam Ganguly
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