Golden moment

Sir — Neeraj Chopra, the 23-year-old athlete from Panipat, scripted history at the men’s javelin throw at Tokyo by clinching India’s first medal in Olympic athletics and the country’s second individual gold medal (‘‘Neeraj nails it! Long wait ends’’, Aug 8). It is a matter of great pride for our nation and a big morale booster for sportspersons in India. This win at the Tokyo Olympics ended India’s 121-year wait for a gold medal in athletics. The previous best had been achieved in British India by Norman Pritchard — it is also considered India’s maiden participation at the Games — who won two silver medals in men’s 200 metres and men’s 200 metres hurdles at Paris in 1900.

I belong to the 1960s when sportspersons from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka could not secure an Olympic medal even though they were endowed with tremendous resilience and talent as they lacked the necessary resources. They did not have proper coaching, access to a suitable diet plan or enough sponsorships. Although athletes like Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Mahendra Singh Gill, Manjit Walia, P.T. Usha and many others won medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, a medal at the Olympics remained elusive. Milkha Singh finished fourth in the 400 metres finals at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa finished fifth in the 110 metres hurdles at Tokyo in 1964 and P.T. Usha lost the bronze medal at the Los Angeles Olympics by 1/100th of a second.

Even today, our focus continues to be on cricket; all other athletes languish for want of resources. It is hoped that after this win at the Olympics, the sports ministry will rise from its slumber. The government as well as the corporate sector has a responsibility to support young, promising sportspersons so that they can perform to the best of their abilities at international events. The government must come up with a comprehensive policy to encourage sportspersons and provide them with the best of resources. India has the potential to win many more medals at the Olympics and other such events.

Ramesh G. Jethwani,
Bangalore

Sir — There are few things more coveted in sports than an Olympic medal and most athletes hope to win the accolade for their nation. Neeraj Chopra performed remarkably well at the Tokyo Olympics, winning a maiden gold in athletics for India. As soon as he threw the javelin at a distance of 87.58 metres in his second attempt — six attempts are permissible — he seemed to know that he had secured a medal. The Olympic champion dedicated his win to one of India’s foremost track-and-field athletes, Milkha Singh, reminding us that this win at Tokyo comes after many a heartbreak. Several Indian athletes have tried to win an Olympic medal in athletics but failed.

There were flashes of brilliance in hockey, badminton, boxing, wrestling and weight-lifting at Tokyo too. But India’s overall performance was not quite up to the mark. The total medal tally of seven fell far short of what we are capable of as a nation. No other country has as much untapped human resource. Promotion of sports needs sustained effort, including the identification and nurturing of talent. It is unfortunate that the government has recently slashed the sports budget. The situation must be remedied at the
earliest.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Winning at any sporting event is a great motivation for an athlete but winning an individual Olympic gold is a career highlight like no other. Neeraj Chopra’s win at the Tokyo Olympics early in his career is an indication of his potential and all the accolades that are yet to come. Another South Asian finalist at the men’s javelin throw was Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan who placed fifth. They must both be congratulated for their hard work and dedication.

C.K. Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai

Sir — As the Olympics comes to an end, it is time for the sports ministry to introspect on the gaps in the country’s sporting infrastructure. Had the government provided adequate resources to all athletes, India could have won more than seven medals at the Olympics. As it stands, Indian athletes have won despite the odds posed by the government, not because of help from it.

Ketan Sharma,
Bhopal

Be wise

Sir — Experts insist that bees are integral to the survival of mankind as they are essential for pollination and thus food production. But bees are dying at an alarming rate owing to a variety of factors — last year there was a 40 per cent decrease in bee populations. In a timely endeavour, Beewise, a start-up company in Israel, has created a robotic beehive that houses more colonies than an average one and constantly monitors the hive’s needs so that beekeepers can intervene when needed. But can this wise innovation bring wisdom to humans who continue to wreak havoc on the fragile ecological balance?

Aparna Chakraborty,
Calcutta