Desi Olympics 2000

As the premiere international sporting event of the new millennium opened and closed with much fanfare in Sydney Australia recently, one has to recognize the participation (or lack of) by South Asian countries in it. As the saying goes “talk is cheap” and criticism is the last refuge of writers like myself who themselves would not have “a snowball’s chance in hell” in joining the opening parade of the games without purchased tickets or by being lucky enough to be journalists there with a press pass. So with this background in mind and admitting my own shortcomings in the sporting arena (never could get further than the neighborhood Cricket or Soccer team), I dare to be critical here because many “desis” (South Asian people) have been murmuring their discontent at the final medal standings. So to echo their sentiments, how can all of South Asia as a whole, an area which has over 1.3 billion people, over 1/5th of humanity exhibit such a pathetic showing at this international sporting event?

Since Pakistan did not even make it to the medal’s table my Indian friends can say “angoor khattay” (“sour grapes” in English), as the saffron brigade is now one bronze up on the former “most allied ally” of the United States. My only reaction to that is a somewhat remote sourness did surface when my American born daughter asked what sports Pakistan played and when they were going to be on local television? But that Sourness didn’t last as long as military takeovers as one had to look beyond (after that hockey semi-final loss to Korea) Pakistan to find solace in other regionally familiar names. Thus the entire desi concept kicked in here once again after the consumption of much grape or gripe juice.

Two bronze medals were won at Sydney by all the SAARC nations combined, and women won them both. But still one should not comment on South Asian manhood or at least not mine since us painted birds of Urdu “tilyar” origins and a somewhat Bengali environment upbringing have never laid claim to being good at much except writing a few verses and lately trying to make holes in the roof of the house we have lived in. So count us out, but where were those “martial races” in Sydney? Or are they only “martial” to the South Asian region alone (or for the British?)? Why cant these fair 6 footers compete well internationally or “cut the mustard” outside South Asia on the world stage?

And like the Israelis (one bronze) in Jerusalem who have recently shown their shooting accuracy against Palestinian children, why cant South Asians who shoot at each other daily, win a medal in this category?

So let us recognize Karnam Malleswari of India and Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka for winning the two bronze medals in weight lifting and the 200-meter women’s track and field respectively. Our collective hats, turbans, caps and toupees off to you ladies for showing us that South Asian women are better sportsmen (and rulers?) then men. I know that this comment will ensure a minimum head shave from Mullah Umar and the Taliban Inc. but sometimes the facts can be disturbing. Take the speech by Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina at the UN that irked our most recent benevolent ruler. Yes, the facts can indeed be troublesome even after almost 30 years.

Now back to the pavilion as they would say. 1.3 billion people, two bronze medals. Looking at the medals table, India “the emerging regional super power” ranked lower than the other “emerging world powers” of Ethiopia, the Bahamas, Cambodia, mighty Mozambique plus let us not forget Uruguay. And the country that India is being billed as the future counterweight to on the regional stage China, was a paltry third in the final overall medal standings with 28 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze for a total of 59. But at least those guys cannot write good computer code, or can they?

A recent Times of India Editorial (Oct. 2, 2000) clearly stated: “ Lets face it. The country wears blinkers as far as sports is concerned”. And in concluding the same writing paying due respects to Ms. Malleswari’s bronze effort the TOI added “In a country of one billion excuses, you have shown that while nations can fail collectively, individuals can triumph on their own”. And to that let us add the 150 million excuses of Pakistan here along with the count from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka here (although these three do not claim to be counterweights to anyone, nor do they aspire for permanent seats on the UN Security Council).

Susanthika Jayasinghe is not a household name, except possibly in Sri Lanka. But I have to hand it to her for coming in third in the women’s 200 meter final just 0.44 seconds behind the American favorite Marion Jones (Gold) and 0.01 seconds behind Pauline Davis-Thompson (Silver) of the Bahamas. Plagued by many accusations Susanthika proved that she was a world-class runner even amongst the best that the sport has to offer.

Out of that tiresome, unending and self destructive civil war between the minority Tamils and the majority Singhalese in former Ceylon, one of the worlds most beautiful islands (to which India does not even offer “moral support”), one is glad that Susanthika put her best feet forward.

So without touching the sore subject of hockey where the past favorites (Pakistan and India) placed 4th and 7th respectively, let us also mention Shazia Hidayet (1500 meters) of Pakistan for “being there” and Bangladeshi shooter Ms. S for being accused of lessening the towel count at the games village by two (The New Nation Oct. 2, 2000).

And now to conclude here with some hopeful thoughts of what would happen if the sport of Kabaddi ever made it to the Olympics. India or Pakistan would be favored to win the gold medal in the next two games till the Europeans and the South East Asians learned to play the sport. Their “teamwork” skills appear to be superior to our more individual efforts. So here as a desi who does not want to take refuge in the fact that “my country” (now the United States) won the most medals at Sydney, I am putting my (ill?) reputation on the line for the promotion and inclusion of “gulli danda” into the next Olympics. Maybe then we will see an individual gold medal from South Asia? I am almost vaguely Sure of it.