The five Olympics rings of peace represent five continents bonding for a single sporting purpose. It was French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, an educationalist and a historian, who revived modern Olympic Games in the 19th century. He designed this five-interlocking rings logo in 1912. Records say the son of Greek God Zeus founded the Olympics in 776 BC. Greek city-states played every four years for nearly 1,200 years until Christian Roman emperor Theodosius I abolished the Games as a pagan practice in 393 CE.
Mulling over why France lost the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, de Coubertin attributed defeat not to military skills but to lack of vigour among French soldiers. After all, he reasoned, why did France have as many as 756,285 total casualties compared to 116,696 from the North German Confederation of Prussia? Looking at the education system that German, British, and American children undergo, he concluded that thrust on sports is what made a well-rounded, energetic person. After several attempts he managed to convince 14 nations to restart the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 with 241 athletes.
Let?s look at Olympics statistics today. Among participating countries since 1896 that continue to be the top six in medals won are USA (2,652 medals, boycotted 1980 Olympics held in Moscow), Germany (1,143 medals, did not participate in 1920, 1924, 1948, 1980), Great Britain (780 medals), France (765 medals) and Italy (656 medals, missed 1904 Olympics) and Sweden (612 medals). Entering from 1952 China has already won seventh position with 517 medals, without participating in 1956 and 1980 Olympics. Hungary is eighth (482 medals, missed 1920 and 1984 Olympics) and Australia ninth with 476 medals. Japan, joined in 1912, has the tenth position with 435 medals, but missed in 1948 and 1980.
Like de Coubertin, but for evil purposes, Adolf Hitler?s Nazi regime placed huge importance on body fitness, too, as a prerequisite for military service, and promoted as ?Aryan? racial superiority and physical prowess. Hosting the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Hitler wanted to ban Blacks and Jews from the Games. When other countries threatened boycott, he relented. As a token, he allowed half-Jew Helene Mayer to participate from Germany. Hitler camouflaged his violent racist policies against Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, political opponents and the disabled by removing signs like ?Jews not wanted? from the city?s tourist attractions. Berlin was ?cleaned up? by arresting and sending all gypsies to the Berlin-Marzahn concentration camp. Germany built huge infrastructure like a 100,000-seat stadium and gymnasiums, and installed a closed-circuit television system and radio network that reached 41 countries. With $7 million, filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl filmed Olympia on the Games to build a false image of a peaceful Germany. In my 20th century events archive is an American journalist recounting Hitler?s riveting opening ceremony speech at Berlin. The dictator?s commanding sway had people of other nations also raise their hands acknowledging ?Heil Hitler? by default. This journalist had to clench his hands in his pocket to control them from rising in salutation to Hitler?s compelling Nazi force. Hitler?s misuse of power is a black mark in the history of the Olympics.
China gives high priority to sports too, along with their ideologies of nationalism and communism. Initially mass sports was endorsed to ?build healthy citizens? for national defence, but focus soon shifted to creating well-trained athletes for international games. The 2008 Beijing Olympics emphasised China?s national rise and international credentials, showcasing its political structure, sports stars and an unparalleled extravaganza. Investing heavily to build a dominant Olympics team, China came second in 2012 with 88 medals (38 gold, 27 silver and 23 bronze), proving that sports equals their economic might.
India won two medals immediately on entering the Olympics in 1900 with lone participant, India-born Englishman Norman Pritchard. He later became a star in Hollywood and New York?s Broadway. From 1920 onwards India participated in all the Olympics. The total medal tally till date is just 26. Hockey did the country proud from 1928 to 1980 winning 11 medals (eight gold, one silver and two bronze). But since the game switched from grass fields to Astroturf, India?s performance plummeted to becoming last this time, losing every single match. The 15 other medals take care of a century of participation by a 1.2 billion nation. In the just concluded London Olympics, India ranks last in medals per capita as compiled by Robert Metzler, reported in uinterview.com. According to India?s sports minister, India cannot expect to win more medals when the country has a poor human development index (HDI) and low per capita income. But when it comes to cricket, India is the reigning world champion. So obviously the country can perform, but what?s the problem in performing in Olympics?
Even developing countries like Ethiopia, Jamaica, Kenya and Uganda have achieved outstanding Olympics records. In India?s route to globalisation, aside from eliminating poverty and reducing infant mortality, sports can play an important visible role to establish country superiority. Our education follows rote learning for the masses, at least sports can develop individual and team ingenuity in the global arena. The country?s schools, public and village playgrounds are full of budding raw talent. But India still lacks basic sports facilities, equipment, coaches and trainers to develop top-notch athletes. What about the problem of corruption? Several athletes have complained about officials fixing match results, bribing players and referees, selecting teams based on politics and ethnicity. Most sports administration heads are politicians or bureaucrats whose primary interest is not sports. We saw cost overruns, graft investigations and construction delays even when Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The government has just announced a R500-crore National Institute of Sports Sciences with world-class coaching centres. India wants to rope in private foundations like Olympic Gold Quest and Mittal Champions Trust, the corporate sector as well as sportspersons for management of sports. May we hope for some positive action in future?
Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business consultant to top management. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com