Troubled Waters: The Cost of In-Fighting
Written on August 20th, 2021 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}As it is rightly said, there is no such thing as authentic, unalloyed jubilation. Some bitterness always mingles with the sweet. Though fond memories of our solitary gold and the hockey triumph might be nested in our thoughts, some events left much to be desired. From the arrest of wrestler Sushil Kumar and the miscommunication between tennis players and their association to the dissatisfaction of Vinesh Phogat on the unavailability of her physiotherapist, the controversies just did not end. In between the games, clashes between the coaches and the players, along with misfiring sporting equipment, added to the sour memories.
From being the one who inspired young wrestlers in India and the world to now being accused tried for murder, Sushil Kumar's journey has seen highs and, now, an apparent endless low. One of the most successful wrestlers, he always was a contender for a medal at international competitions for India. Being India's most decorated sportsman, his recent arrest was heartbreaking for those who followed him closely in his journey at several sporting competitions and hoped to see him at the Tokyo Olympics and has thrown the spotlight onto the obscure side of wrestling in India. Now Sushil Kumar finds himself in the bottomless chasm and has to fight his most brutal battle yet.
On the other hand, Tennis India was already broiled in a clash between the management and the players over confusion on qualification and scope for a medal even before the Olympics began. Though chances of qualifying for the doubles for the Indian duo of Bopanna and Nagal were tight, the miscommunication and lack of clarity from the All India Tennis Association(AITA), which once gave hope for qualification to the pair, resulted in unwanted accusations and dissatisfaction to the tennis athletes. The scuffle between athletes and the federation was not ideal when the country was gearing up for the Olympics and Sania Mirza, a star in her own right, was hoping to make a comeback.
Meanwhile, the regrettable episode between Vinesh Phogat and the Wrestling Federation has not missed anyone's radar either. After suffering defeat in the games, she finds herself temporarily banned by the wrestling federation on charges of refusing to train and stay with her other Indian colleagues and refusing to wear the Indian Olympic Association's wrestling singlet. Before the games began, the Wrestling Federation India (WFI) met her long-standing demand for a physiotherapist with a cold shoulder. Phogat said that the absence of her physio left a negative impact on her performance in Tokyo. Banning her even before she stepped into the country shows how discourteous and hasty the federation has been. There is no excuse for losing a match, but the scenario might have been different if she had enough support from WFI. At strenuous times like this, when many top-seeded players have pulled out of the games due to mental health, WFI's reassurance would have been appreciated. From being under pressure to suppressing depression, as she recounts, the actions of the wrestling body in India are far from being justifiable.
Likewise, the shooting contingent too had to brave controversy, marred with struggle during the run-up to Tokyo. While the post-Olympic blame games have to do with personal conflicts, there is a lot to be said when the consequences are detrimental to the entire squad. The pre-Olympic statements specifically named Manu Bhaker's former coach as the "only negative element." Considering that the majority of the team consists of late-teenagers, the impact of infights and publicized scandals cannot be overstated. In their own words, the disagreements certainly added to the pressure to perform. After all, a demoralized team is almost always the losing team.
Blaming the subject of these disagreements is not the solution, as the dismal performances at Tokyo prove. With Tokyo 2020's no-medal performance (or lack thereof) echoing that of Rio 2016, one might conclude that the sport's system within the country is fundamentally flawed. Unfortunately, the shooting squad is not the only contingent that paid the price for coach-athlete clashes. The Table Tennis players saw their fair share of controversy when singles player Manika Batra refused to heed the national coach during her match because her personal coach was not allowed. Whether or not it was a direct result of a disagreement, the game was lost.
Another side of the same coin drew flak as well. The lone gymnast Pranati Nayak, the athlete in question, heeded the decision to attempt only one of two vaults, a decision heavily criticized by her childhood coach despite justifications that a second attempt could further a pre-existing injury. Archer Atanu Das also expressed disappointment about the mixed-doubles pairings after being split from fellow archer and spouse Deepika Kumari, with pairs being drawn based on rankings at the time. Both archers qualified individually to stages closer to the medal winning rounds than their compatriots, but neither fared well in the mixed-doubles event. Coincidence or not, the failure of two of the most talented and cheered-for contingents from India raises questions that should have been asked before the games.
It is natural that any decision, especially those about athletes who represent the country on an international stage, would be of national interest. With so many stakeholders, it is no surprise that there are differences of opinion. However, it is in everyone's best interest to carefully evaluate the dynamics of the relationships at play. Trust is paramount in any mentorship, and, understandably, the participating athletes afford it great importance. One might argue that the officials who make vital decisions relating to the specifics of Olympic representation are hard-pressed to make more rational decisions that are practical and stand higher chances of success. Therefore, the most reasonable compromise would be to ensure that there is sufficient communication between all concerned parties, allowing the selected representative coaches and personal coaches to make decisions in tandem with the players themselves. Perhaps when the blame games cease, the Indian medal tally will rise. Indeed, it is not for lack of talent that we fail to reach the podium!