India @ 75

15th August – our Independence Day. Also, time for the annual blog post on all things India, a tradition which now enters its 15th edition. So, before we head into this one, here is the link for the 2021 edition.

75 years since independence – it has been a remarkable journey. The Government decided to mark the occasion as #AzaadiKaAmritMahotsav and launched the #GharGharTiranga campaign. A campaign which also resonated with the citizens. And the result - tricolours displayed everywhere, on buildings, individual houses and vehicles presented a beautiful sight (or a vihangam drishya, to borrow a phrase from Doordarshan’s Republic Day commentary).

After the travails of 2020-21, we finally seem to have got a grip on the pandemic (though still not completely over it). The covid waves are still coming, although its impact has reduced. The roll-out of vaccines, an arduous task specially in a country of our size, certainly seems to have had an effect in controlling the damage. Although we still don’t know the long-term impacts yet, but life is slowly coming back to normal.

I always believe in reading the newspaper from back to front. Because the sports pages (which come last) are filled with the stories of human achievements, unlike most of the other pages! In a non-Olympic and non-World Cup year, it would have been difficult to match the highs of Neeraj Chopra’s Olympics Gold. But our men’s Badminton team provided it by winning the Thomas Cup. Chopra himself followed it up becoming the first Indian athlete to win a World Championships Silver medal. And finally, we had the sports fans cheering the Lawn Bowls team at the Commonwealth Games, while simultaneously trying to learn the rules of this novel sport they had come across. Meanwhile the Football federation gets banned by FIFA, putting in jeopardy the upcoming Women's U-17 World Cup. Somehow, finding a cloud for a silver lining!

Where sports exist, so does betting. Although illegal, there are now a multitude of apps and sites providing a chance to win cash based on fantasy leagues! Most of them exploiting the grey area between a game of chance and a game of skill. However, some enterprising folks took this to a whole new level. They organized an entire fake IPL, streamed it, and made money off Russian punters! The sheer chutzpah of the scam is simply unbelievable! This is one story filled with lots of audacious elements – but finding people in Russia willing to bet on cricket matches takes the cake.

Whilst on the subject of online scams, there has been a surfeit of them. The mobile phone has become a minefield to be treaded through carefully. Fake job offers, fake tenants, changing numbers of legitimate businesses, sending links for payment, threatening to cut electricity supply, fake calls, hacking people’s social media accounts. Just how many traps can you avoid daily?

The initial lockdown days of Covid brought to light, how clean our environment could be with reduced human activity. While a lockdown is not the solution, it did show that the climate emergency could still be managed. In this regard, we have made a major commitment towards Net Zero by 2070. The economic costs of this transition will be quite high but something which needs to be done.

Which brings us to the economy. While we are not the worst performing, there are dark clouds looming all over the horizon. The collateral effects of Ukraine crisis, soaring energy prices and a looming food shortage are all potentially leading to a global economic recession. It will take significant political will to navigate through these VUCA times. Credit to the government for taking a stand and getting cheaper Russian crude.

On the political front, we had a change of leadership at the top. Meanwhile, in various states, the state governments keep changing not through elections but via backroom political manipulations and resort management. Certainly not a sign of a healthy democracy.

Meanwhile the social media discussions and debates continue to become more and more toxic. The balance is completely gone and replaced by a “with us or against us” mentality. Wonder what vaccine will help in resolving this.

Overall, it has been a year of coming out of chaos but there are threats looming everywhere. Let’s see what the next one holds.

On that note, Happy Birthday India! Jai Hind!

The Perfect Jinx

Started reading (once again), Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus. And on the second page came across this passage.

One line stood out “…. in the last few decades we have managed to rein in famine, plague and war”.

This book was written in 2015. The existing diseases were being managed; the new ones (SARS, Ebola etc.) were being controlled before they acquired pandemic proportions. The world’s political boundaries had been more or less stable for years except for few localized hotspots. Meanwhile, technological innovations were ensuring that global hunger was reducing despite an increasing population. In fact, obesity was becoming a bigger issue than hunger. And the efficient global supply chains ensured that men and material could be moved fast to the place of need in the event of any natural disaster.

Fast Forward to 2022. We have the “plague” - It’s been two and a half years since Covid 19 pandemic struck and upended the world as we knew it. We have “war” - the Russian invasion of Ukraine gave the western world its biggest war since 1945 with the added threat of nuclear weapons. And we are also staring at a global famine – the pandemic and the war disrupted the global supply chains, which combined with climate change has created the beginning of a global food shortage.

All of a sudden, the future is not looking so rosy for the homo sapiens!

As any sports fan can relate, this line is the perfect epitome of the “commentator’s curse” or simply “the jinx”.

Yet, jokes aside, the human beings have become more and more resilient and have better control over such matters. Fast-tracked global development of vaccines certainly helped in curbing the covid19 pandemic (although a lot of damage has already been done, but things could have been much worse). The Russia-Ukraine stand-off has not spiraled beyond the region (yet!). And steps are being taken to manage the food crisis. So overall, while not a rosy picture, history is replete with examples of things having gone much, much worse. 

So, in essence, Harari is right, we as a species, certainly have matters in our own control. How we handle it is also a decision totally in our hands and we have only ourselves to blame if do not evolve for the better!

India @74

Well, last year I was wrong!

Things took a turn for the worse in India’s 74th year, a lot worse. We nearly sailed over the Covid wave, celebrated early, even declared victory and then got hit hard by the variant. Those terrible weeks of April & May, where the nation was living through a collective trauma have been one of the most painful ones of recent times. People running around for oxygen cylinders and essential medicines. Queues for hospitals and even for cremations. Existing systems and the people manning them completely overwhelmed, yet carrying on. Even the crematoriums were malfunctioning due to excess use! Almost everyone was either affected themselves or had near and dear ones impacted. We were living in a dystopian reality. 

Amidst all this the key stakeholders in the Central government had gone incognito. There was an eerie silence, no words of reassurance or even acknowledgment of the grim situation came forth, and as it came out later no data as well. In fact, they were more in a denial mode. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens tried to help each other out. However, amidst the good Samaritans were the rotten apples as well, selling making a killing with exorbitant rates or worse providing fake medicines. Some finding their “aapda me avsar” while most citizens got a brutal lesson in becoming aatm-nirbhar. 

The government can’t even take full blame though, as the citizens kept flocking to potential hotspots – election rallies, sporting events, religious festivals and tourist spots, while not following even the basic mask and social distancing protocols. It has been a long year, but some more restraint would help. 

Then the Farmer Protests which have been going on for a while with no resolution in sight. Simply, because, it is in nobody’s interest to resolve it. The longer an issue runs, the longer it can be milked for various political purposes. 

The polarization of opinion on social media is near absolute. Every single issue is seen as either for or against with people picking sides based on their confirmation bias. Balance and logic in debates has simply gone for a toss. 

But enough of the negativity. It is said, read the newspaper back to front. The sports pages at the last register the human achievements while the rest of the pages are simply chronicling our failures.

Success in the sporting arena provided some succor. India had their best Olympics haul ever including a second Gold medalist in Neeraj Chopra and a potential resurgence in Hockey. What a moment it was to hear Jana Gana Mana played out in Tokyo! Hopefully the other Indian sports (i.e. non-cricket ones) build on from these Games. After all, our one billion plus populace should be able to easily accommodate all sports in the World. 

Cricket provided epic rearguard moment as the Aussie bastion of Gabba was finally breached. Yet, it was also in news for hosting the IPL amidst a pandemic. The argument of IPL providing a welcome distraction in the covid times began to ring hollow. And finally had to be suspended. The virus breaches even the most secure bio-bubbles. 

So, after a harrowing year, where do we stand? Dare we hope again for normalcy, as the vaccine roll-out gathers a bit of momentum while simultaneously bracing ourselves for further waves? Will there ever be a normal again? Or we keep adapting to the “new normal”? If the covid ravaged days have given one positive, it is the fact that one is not totally alone. Just ask for help. It might not necessarily come on time. But there will be people who will try (as per their might) to help out. And that to me is the silver lining amidst all the dark clouds. 

On that tiny note of positivity, a Very Happy Birthday to India! 

Road To Tokyo: Episode 15

24 July, 2020 - In normal times, today would have been the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics and also the culmination of the 4-year long Road To Tokyo series. Instead in these unprecedented times (am I the only one tired of this phrase?), we have to wait 52 weeks more. 

Sports will not change the ongoing crisis, it will certainly not create a vaccine or a cure but it does generate a feel-good factor in these depressing times. Just look at how the ongoing England-West Indies series has riveted the cricketing world together, or how the conclusion of the various European football leagues has brought back a tiny sense of normalcy. After all, as Mr. Nelson Mandela once said “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” 

With the coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of receding any time soon, and potential vaccines still at very early trials stage, there is a big cloud on the Games taking place next year as well. And it is not just the actual event itself. Multiple Qualifiers to be held globally are still to take place. Quite a few nations might not even be able to send a team at this juncture. But we can wait and watch and hope that everyone is able to participate! 

In the meantime, the organizers have been busy preparing the contingencies including alternate Qualifying schedules. There is a growing spectre of the events being held without spectators and with strict quarantine & bio-secure bubble rules in place! But all this is a still a matter of conjecture. 

In India News, the 3x3 Basketball Qualifiers have been moved away from Bangalore and will be held in Graz, Austria, thus dropping India out of the Qualification race as well! 

Meanwhile lets all stay home and stay safe, so that we are all still part of the Olympics movement! 

Links: Road To Tokyo: Episode 14 

Road To Tokyo: Episode 13

“Coronavirus Stopped Play” 

Well, the dreaded thing has happened. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed and will be held no later than the Summer of 2021. In short, no clarity on when the Games will happen. This was on expected lines with sports events being cancelled all over the world, training facilities closed and even athletes quarantined. So, our Road To Tokyo journey has its destination changed. However, the destination is unknown for now. Even the Olympic flame which had commenced its journey is now on hold. 

Since Episode 12, the Indian contingent showed an impressive increase. 

• 9 Indian Boxers made it through the Asian Qualifiers – a record high. And the World Qualifying event is still pending. Vikas Krishna Yadav, Ashish Kumar, Satish Kumar, Amit Panghal and Manish Kaushik among the Men and Lovlina Borgohain, Pooja Rani, Mary Kom and Simranjit Kaur amongst the Women qualified in their respective weight categories. 
• Athletics - Shivpal Singh joined Neeraj Chopra in Men’s Javelin Throw. 

Total Count – Sports - 7, Events – 35, Entries - 47, Participants – 74 

All other Qualifiers were abandoned. Meanwhile, we also await clarity on the status of already qualified athletes as well as future qualification events. We can just wait and watch as the world grapples with the Coronavirus. 

Sports has always been the biggest healer and will continue to do so. The Tokyo Games, whenever they happen, will be the symbol of the resilience of the human spirit and act as a balm to the embattled world. 

Links: Road To Tokyo: Episode 12

Road To Tokyo: Episode 12

Presenting Episode #12 of the “Road To Tokyo” series. 

First Up Coronavirus - The preparations for the Games have hit a major snag with CoVid-19 spreading all around the world. Some of the Qualifying events have been relocated out of China. Many training sessions and practices events have been cancelled/postponed. The volunteer training at Tokyo has been delayed. Meanwhile, London’s mayor has announced that London is ready to step in as Host, in case the Games must be moved out of Tokyo. While senior IOC member Thomas Bach has said a decision will be likely taken in May. Meanwhile bookies have already started offering odds on the cancellation/postponement/shifting of the Games! Quite a weird state of affairs.

India Qualification Update

Athletics

Bhawna Jat has qualified for the Women’s 20 KM Walk with a National Record Performance.

In Other News

• Weightlifting - Mirabai Chanu breaks her own National Record in 49 KG. Looking good as medal prospect at the Games.
• Boxing - Amit Panghal is now ranked #1 in the world. 
• Wrestling – India put up a mixed show at the Asian Wrestling Championships. While the highly rated Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat could not deliver the Golds, Ravi Dahiya and Divya Kakran did. However, the field was a bit weakened in the absence of Chinese wrestlers who were not given a visa due to travel restrictions on account of Coronavirus fears. 
• Badminton –Currently Sai Praneeth, Srikanth & Sindhu in Singles and the pair of Satwik Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty are in contention for a direct berth. However, with events getting dropped/postponed due to Coronavirus fears, time is running out for the others to book a berth.
• Golf – Rashid Khan, Udayan Mane, Aditi Ashok & Diksha Dagar are on track to qualify for the Games.

Upcoming Qualification Events

• Boxing – Asian Qualifiers
• Basketball 3x3 – Qualifiers hosted in Bengaluru
• Canoeing - Asian Canoe Slalom Championships
• Sailing - Asian Championships 
• Wrestling – Asian Qualification Event

Total Count – Sports - 6, Events – 26, Entries -37, Participants – 64

Links

• Road To Tokyo: Episode 11
• What Next for the Summer Games (Firstpost)
• Asian Wrestling Championships 2020 – (Wikipedia)