Er Rational musings #672

Er Rational musings #672



Part I



A Quest for an elusive medal



For many games of individualistic nature, be it athletics like hammer throw/shot put/javeline throw/track n field events or swimming or weight lifting or shooting or archery, or even rowing etc, there are World records, Olympic records, (or Commonwealth/Games records etc), or National records or Individual best, which really matter. There are set qualifying standards, which need to be surpassed, for entry into Olympics. For rest of the team games like Badminton, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer n alike, it's anybody's game, but with a rider. There is a qualifying criteria for all such games; for example, in case of Hockey, a winning country in Champions League Hockey Tournament, gets automatic qualification for next Olympic games. Hence, it's pretty clear about who can participate in Olympics.



It would be very pertinent and obvious question to come to anybody's mind, is that, if such timing/records etc are known, why can't Indian players vie for it themselves, on their own?



Some World records, for illustration:



1) Athletics 100 mtr run, world record time is 9.58 seconds.

2) Swimming 100 mtr freestyle world record time is 46.91 seconds.

3) Weight lifgting 105+ category, Snatch world record is 216 Kg.



So, the point is, can anyone with such goal in sight, not practice and practice and practice and focus and focus and focus, to achieve this? In local Maidan (do 100mtr sprint in 9.58 sec), local swimming pool (swim 100mtr in freestyle within 46.91 seconds), or local Gym (lift snatch the weight of your weight category), maybe? Achieve it, participate in local district zonal, national tournaments and display this, winning consistently. And prove it again and again



Yes, off course, it can be done; it's difficult but not impossible. (Limba Ram, greatest archer from tribal Rajasthan, is a perfect example. He equalled the world record in 1992, on his own, and also represented India, in 3 Olympics).



Possible? Simple? Just like that? Isn't it? Really, is it?



~ Olympics jargon understood?!

~ Olympics jigsaw puzzle solved?!

~ Olympics jinx broken?!



Easter said than done...

---               (to be continued)

मिलिंद काळे, मुलुंड पश्चिम, मुंबई

१९ आँगस्ट २०१६