[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by drk_411

Saina looses first game 21-18. Fingers crossed. The chinese player had problem with her leg.

Yes, she retired. A disappointing Bronze for Saina, knowing her she would have wanted to fight her way to a medal.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Was watching women's weight lifting today. It wasn't by choice, that's what they were showing live when I tuned to ESPN HD Live.

Anyway, I saw the Olympic record for snatch being broken 5 times back-to-back. The last two were World record too. Most of these gals weighed over 100kgs and the winner lifted 151kgs.

He he he. And they ARE girls. Lol.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Most of these gals weighed over 100kgs and the winner lifted 151kgs.

I find it very hard to watch weightlifting. I feel like my own back is hurting!!

London match timings are not very India-friendly. My favourite - Men's 100m was scheduled at 2:20am

Saw Mary Kom's match - very technical bout, I think. Did not understand how points were awarded

[b_naresh]

Mary Kom has won today's match, assuring India of another medal. She next faces a British boxer in the semi-final who has beaten her in the world championships. Hope she goes on to win a gold this time.

[mclarenracer]

Vijender Singh lost his fight, took off from work to see the fight. still was a good effort, now cheering for Mary Kom

[mannubhai]

True but not shocking :

The world's largest democracy wins fewer medals per person than any other country.

India is competing since 1900, has only won 22 medals in every Olympics combined, half of those in field hockey.

At the 2008 Beijing olympics, India had the lowest ratio of medals-won to population of any competing country: one medal per 383 million Indians. And that year was their best Olympic performance ever.

Neither the Will nor the Cash: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals - Max Fisher - The Atlantic

[mclarenracer]

That number of 22 medals is the same amount Micheal Phelps alone has earned in 3 Olympics. Is 100 meter race in India Longer than 100 rest of the world runs, No. Is the water in rest of the Worlds pool different than what we have, No. Yet we cherish single digit medals as an achievement, rather than admit there is a flaw that we have to fix and show what we really are capable off.
It starts at a young age and needs a grass root effort. Need more efforts from schools to train the Next gen of Athletes.

[kingofkings]

Wrestling not listed. Waiting to watch Wrestling Freestyle events starting later this week.

[kaushik_s]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

True but not shocking :

The world's largest democracy wins fewer medals per person than any other country.

India is competing since 1900, has only won 22 medals in every Olympics combined, half of those in field hockey.

At the 2008 Beijing olympics, India had the lowest ratio of medals-won to population of any competing country: one medal per 383 million Indians. And that year was their best Olympic performance ever.

Neither the Will nor the Cash: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals - Max Fisher - The Atlantic

Actually the level of participation in this particular thread also kind of indicates how indifferent are Indians about Olympics. For Pete's sake, Olympics is probably the greatest show on earth, the ultimate place for world supremacy in sports, but here in India almost 80% of people are probably not even bothered. For us it's only Cricket and cricket only. What else can be expected anyway.

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

True but not shocking :

The world's largest democracy wins fewer medals per person than any other country.

India is competing since 1900, has only won 22 medals in every Olympics combined, half of those in field hockey.

At the 2008 Beijing olympics, India had the lowest ratio of medals-won to population of any competing country: one medal per 383 million Indians. And that year was their best Olympic performance ever.

Neither the Will nor the Cash: Why India Wins So Few Olympic Medals - Max Fisher - The Atlantic

A lot of it is because of our diet. And not to forget the lack of infrastructure. I follow basketball and man the guys in the NBA are freaks. Have played with a couple of them when I was in the US, and they are unbelievably gifted. They follow a strict diet (no fat/fried food, sweets etc). How many of the cricketers (not picking on cricket but since its the only sport that India cares about) follow a strict diet? I have seen some players gobble down food(and liquor!) like crazy after the IPL games. No wonder they are always injured.

[amitwlele]

My eternal favorite in Olympics has been Swimming followed by Athletics and Gymnastics.

Mary Kom has to settle for a bronze. I was madly hoping that she would get the Gold for India. But still a superb achievement by her.

[PGA]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Actually the level of participation in this particular thread also kind of indicates how indifferent are Indians about Olympics. For Pete's sake, Olympics is probably the greatest show on earth, the ultimate place for world supremacy in sports, but here in India almost 80% of people are probably not even bothered. For us it's only Cricket and cricket only. What else can be expected anyway.

I agree with you 100%. We are not a sporting nation. And to cap it all in the modern era we have upsurped our playgrounds to build residential colonies or malls.

I was shocked a couple of years ago in one of our metros where I had moved in, I had to shell out 25k to enrol myself in a sports club so that my kids could utilise proper sports ground facilities. No doubt our kids get to play only in the lanes of the towns.

Another aspect of Olympics is not about supremacy in sports. The performance in sports has also been associated with claims of racial supremacy. It has been like that from time immemorial and will stay that way. We may or may not want to hear it but the world talks.

[download2live]

Originally Posted by PGA

I agree with you 100%. We are not a sporting nation.

And how are we forgetting the Engineer/Doctor, IIM and IIT factor.
A lot of guys in my colony were very good in sports (Badminton and Cricket).
But all of them were grounded in evening in class 10 and 12.

Our outlook towards sports is jaundiced.

[mannubhai]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

For us it's only Cricket and cricket only. What else can be expected anyway.

=============

Beg to differ on that. I hardly heard anyone talking about India SL series in the last week. All were talking of olympics. When i went to a hotel in blore, they were showing olympics and not cricket. And all eyes were in the TV and no one complained.

Originally Posted by shivasuma

A lot of it is because of our diet. And not to forget the lack of infrastructure. No wonder they are always injured.

================

These sportsman you mentioned, are brought up in that way with strict diet and exercise regimes. To them sports is a fulltime JOB. Here its a PASSTIME.

Originally Posted by download2live

And how are we forgetting the Engineer/Doctor, IIM and IIT factor.
A lot of guys in my colony were very good in sports (Badminton and Cricket).
But all of them were grounded in evening in class 10 and 12.

Our outlook towards sports is jaundiced.

Originally Posted by mclarenracer

It starts at a young age and needs a grass root effort. Need more efforts from schools to train the Next gen of Athletes.

=============
Agree to that. Parents are showing interest for some lucky kids. But in our system, being a sports man doesnt give them a livelihood. The only exception being cricket.

Originally Posted by PGA

I agree with you 100%. We are not a sporting nation. And to cap it all in the modern era we have upsurped our playgrounds to build residential colonies or malls.

==============
We do not have a system to pick up talents when they are young. A kid comes to lime light mostly through University games or the state competitions. By then his prime age to build him/her up into a sports man is over.

Sadly enough, we sit up and applaud the fallen heroes there, saying they atleast managed a bronze. Im Giving them the full credit . But no one questions the authorities/organisations who run these sports in India.

For example, The Entire Hockey Federation should be sacked for such a dismal show. But at the best they will sack the coach and send off few players. The President/Secy/treasurer etc etc, who take all decisions, will continue enjoying the benefits.

[jai-uno-t]

Wandering around Mumbai, I see a huge number of shops and stores selling sports equipment and clothing, gyms opening everywhere, billboards for the latests movies with torn shirts and rippling six packs (Shah Rukh over compensating again?). Quite reasonably, i draw the conclusion that India, or at least this part of it, is into sport and keeping fit, and could quite possibly draw a decent set of entrants from a huge population.

But, as pointed out, the reality is somewhat different, you reach that certain age, and instead of hitting the track, it's the books, and what talent there might have been is lost.

Investment? Personally, i don't think so, for a country that still takes financial aid packages from around the world, has a space program, serious infrastructure issues, female feoticide and infanticide problems, poverty, housing and gawd knows what else, there are far more deserving and important things you should be spending your money on.

On a lighter note:

Been doing the rounds, made me chuckle

[srishiva]

I just remembered about how we support our kids in sports, forget our elders. Sometimes me and my wife had to get involved in my Son's (6 years old) homework.

Why the heck they have to learn 3 languages at that age? Abroad, the kids have a party time until their high school years. Where are the facilities to take part in sports?

Its just that we dont invest time in sports. Even when people take part in sports, you require a lot of good competition to improve. The whole thing is missing.