Some were alienated by the celebration of Brit pop in the closing ceremony of London 2012. We found it offered universal commentary on life, sports, and the spirit of struggle

Imagine there?s no countries

It isn?t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

living life in peace

You, you may say

I?m a dreamer, but I?m not the only one

I hope some day you?ll join us

And the world will be as one

(John Lennon)

Much as one loves Queen?s Bohemian Rhapsody, David Bowie?s Fashion, Pet Shop Boys? East End Boys, and West End Girls, The Who?s I?m talkin? ?bout my generation, and all the other Brit pop ?classics? that were belted out at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, John Lennon?s Imagine has a special place in one?s heart and mind. But was this the song most at odds with the moment?

The modern Olympics are an unalloyed political spectacle, where host nations do their best to impress their socio-cultural might upon the visiting league of nations, and the latter obsessively track every hour of every day of the two weeks to see whether they have slipped or gained a notch in the global rankings. For Indian athletes and spectators, surely one of the toughest parts of going gold-less was that we never got to hear our national anthem. For Greece, where the financial crisis has forced the government to cut the national Olympic Committee?s funds by a third and send the smallest team in 20 years, which has ended up with only half the medals won at Beijing, hearing its anthem played at the closing ceremony (in continuing tribute to its status as a founder nation of the Games) was surely one of the highs. The same went for Uganda, which by merit of fielding the gold-medal marathoner also got to hear its anthem played to a packed international house on Sunday night.

?Cause I told you once

Now I told you twice

We gon? light it up

Like it?s dynamite!

(Taio Cruz)

As a most suitable metaphor for India?s Olympic journey?past, present, future, et al?look no further than Yogeshwar Dutt?s extended, torturous but triumphant struggle on Olympic 2012?s penultimate day. As a prelude, remember, Dutt has been doing tapasya at the capital?s Chhatrasal Stadium akhada alongside close friend Sushil Kumar since he was a child. When Sushil won a medal at Beijing while Dutt failed to move past the quaterfinals, Dutt could have lost heart. He decided to grow a bigger one.

On Saturday, a long day began well with a win over Anatolie Ilarionovitch Guidea of Bulgaria. Kind of like the Indian men?s hockey team?s five consecutive hockey golds between 1928 and 1952. Smooth sailing. Dutt then lost to the tough Russian Besik Kudukhov without recording a single point. In the next hour, he would face three rounds of repechage, with every occasion of relief being followed by a fresh challenge. And make no mistake, this was a microcosm of India?s goal of climbing from the fifties to the top ten of global rankings.

He got past the 2011 world championship silver medallist Franklin Gomez Matos of Puerto Rico in the first round of repechage by not conceding a point in the first two periods. The second round against Masoud Esmaeil Poorjouybari of Iran was much tougher. An initial win in the first period was overturned following an appeal from the opponent?s camp, the second period was brutally close, but in the third Dutt put Poorjouybari decisively on the mat. The third encounter, against North Korea?s Ri Jong Myong, also dragged into the third period. By this time, Dutt?s eye had swollen to painful prominence. Yet, in the third and final period, Yogeshwar pulled off a stunning ?fitele?, twirling the hapless Korean over and over, in a display of amazing technique and upper-body strength. In his journey to bronze, there had been so many moments when setbacks would have made it logical to give up. From inadequate diet to doctors, unfriendly officials to more competent opponents. To triumph over all that made his bronze shine like gold.

In his speech at the closing ceremony, Locog 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said the Games would inspire a generation, showcasing what tenacity, ambition and imagination can do. No doubt, Gagan Narang, Vijay Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Dutt and Kumar will inspire a new generation of Indians to greater Olympic feats. But it would be silly to imagine that there won?t be more troughs along the way. When we hit them, however, let?s look back at Dutt turning joyous cartwheels after clinching the bronze. It takes guts to get glory.

It also takes money.

Ain?t about the cha-ching, cha-ching

Ain?t about the ba-bling, ba-bling

Wanna make the world dance

Forget about the price tag

(Jessie J)

We have already mentioned Uganda. Then there are the Ethiopians, who trekked away with gold in the women?s 5,000m event as well as the women?s 10,000m event. There is the Caribbean island of Grenada, whose entire population would have fit into London?s Olympic stadium, which got its first-ever gold in the men?s 400m event. The Jamaicans of course sprinted first to the finish-line in women?s 100m, men?s 100m, men?s 200m, and men?s 4x100m relay. None of these countries are breaking the banks with sports expenditure of the kind boasted by China and the UK. And they are giving us global delights like Usain Bolt into the bargain. None of this to negate the ?talent times money equals medals? equation per se. We are just highlighting the x factor. It could be genes, but it could as well be individual fire-power.

Remember that speedy child of Partition, Milkha Singh. Self-grown to the g. It?s more than half a century after his Roman heartbreak that Bollywood is finally bringing this legend?s life to the screen. Still, the inspiration has endured. Or, look at the gutsy Mary Kom. Long before she won her Olympic bronze, to the accompaniment of Londoners chanting her name, she had already set a new generation on the path to majesty with her boxing academy in Manipur. Money, you matter. But to paraphrase the Bard, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Through its extensive Olympics coverage, even the venerable Beebs concentrated on the athletes, spectators and volunteers. Politicians and bureaucrats were firmly put on the backseat of the soundtrack. In Beijing, the little girl who sang Ode to the Motherland was ?papered over? by a lip-syncher who was more ?good looking?. In London, wheelchairs and sign language got centrestage, double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius carried his country?s flag, and the closing ceremony honoured athletes who hadn?t won any medals.

Some things in life are bad

They can really make you mad

Other things just make you swear and curse.

When you?re chewing on life?s gristle

Don?t grumble, give a whistle

And this?ll help things turn out for the best.

And always look on the

bright side of life

(from Monty Python)