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26/08/2016

HowtowinmedalsinOlympicsTheHindu

OPINIONCOMMENT

Published:August26,201602:25IST|Updated:August26,201602:59ISTAugust26,2016

HowtowinmedalsinOlympics
ShekarSwamy

ShekarSwamy
AcrossIndia,clustersofexcellencebysportcanbedevelopedbasedonnaturalinclinationsandheritagethatarevisible,suchasboxingin
HaryanaandbadmintoninHyderabad
OnemoreOlympicshasgoneby.Atotalof974medalswerewonby87countries54countrieswonatleastoneGold.TheU.S.flewhomewith
thebestmedaltallyofalltimeforthatcountrywith121medals.NotwithstandingtheindividualbrillianceandthefacesavingmedalsofP.V.
SindhuandSakshiMalik,Indiasperformanceisthepoorestamongallbigcountries.
Thediscourseonthisisanunhappyone:therehasbeenalotofhandwringing,blameontheSportsMinistryandsportsadministrators,
complaintsaboutlackoffacilities,grumblesaboutcorruptionbeingthevillain,andsoon.Indiasaysthesamethings,onceinfouryears,
duringandaftereveryOlympics.Itshouldinsteadlookforsimplelessons,developastrategytowinmedalsandexecuteitdiligently.No,I
dontbelievethatIndiashouldbeplanningfortheOlympicsscheduledeightortwelveyearsfromnow.Whilelongtermthinkingisgood,any
leaderwilltellyouthatitistooslow.WeshouldaimtowinalotmoremedalsinTokyoin2020.Buthow?
Numberstelldifferentstories
Thefinalmedalstallybycountry(seehttps://www.rio2016.com/en/medalcountcountry)tellsallsortsofstories.Thetop22countries
thosewithadoubledigitmedalstallywithaminimumofthreegoldmedalstookhomeatotalof702medals,or72percentofallmedals.
ThetoptensuggeststhatonlytheestablishedWest(theU.S.,GreatBritain,Germany,France,ItalyandAustralia)alongwithRussia,Japan
andSouthKoreawillcontinuetodominate.TheemergenceofChinaisexplainedasyouknowtheChinesecandictateanything,sotheyare
notcomparable.Itisoftenimpliedthatwealthandsizearethereasonsforthesuccessofthesecountries.Theyhavethefacilitiesand
programmesinplace.Theyareboundtowin.Sogoestheargumentandacceptance.
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26/08/2016

HowtowinmedalsinOlympicsTheHindu

Thislogicshouldbeprobedfurther.Olympicsmedalsarewonbypeoplebetweentheagesof15to29,withafewexceptionsoneithersideof
thisageband.Ilookedatthenumberofmedalwinsinrelationtothepopulationintheagegroup15to29ineachcountry,forwhichdatais
available.Thiswasjuxtaposedwiththemedalswon,tocalculatethenumbersofmedalswonperlakhofpopulationinthisagegroup.The
storychangesdramatically.
Thegraphicshowsthemedalswonperonelakhofpopulationinthe1529agegroup,forthesame22countries.TinyNewZealand(total
population4.6million)emergesontop,with1.8medalsperonelakhintherelevantagegroup,followedbyJamaicawith1.57medalsand
Croatiawith1.43medals.NewZealandwonanastonishing18medalsandhasmostlygoneunheralded,overshadowedbytheenjoyable
theatricsofUsainBoltandothers.Thesecountriesarenottherichest,theydonothavesizeandmuscle,theirsmallsizerestrictsthedepthof
internalcompetition,theydonthavesuperiorsportsadministratorsorthebestoffacilities.Sowhatgives?
Whatarethelessons?
NewZealandwon10ofitsmedalsinrowing,sailingandcanoeing,allbasedonitsrichmarineheritage,anaturalstrengthforthecountry.
Jamaicawoninathletics,specificallyinrunning,inwhichithasbuiltasupercluster.Croatiaisamixedbagwinninginathleticsandwater
relatedsports.Furtheranalysisofwinnersshowsasimilarclusterstrength,whereanindividualcountry,nomatterhowsmallor
economicallyweak,winsanumberofmedalsinspecificsportsItalywon7medalsinshooting,4infencingCuba6inboxingKazakhstan5
inweightliftingIran5inwrestlingKenya13inathletics(mostlyrunning)andsoon.
Clearlybuildingclustersofexcellencebysportisthewaytogo.Fortunatelywehaveseveralinplace.PullelaGopichandhassinglehandedly
builtaclusterforbadmintoninHyderabad.Canthisbefurtherdevelopedtofieldalargenumberofplayers,inordertodominatethissportin
Tokyo?Haryanaisaclusterofexcellenceforboxingandwrestling.Thisshouldbegivenathrustwiththeintenttowinbiginthesetwosports.
TheNortheasthasshownremarkableenergyinsports,withthelikesofMaryKomandDipaKarmakar.Focussingonsportsthereisasure
firewayofbringingtheregionintothemainstream,ahugepoliticalagenda.Keralaisbiginboatracingandmartialarts,anaturalplaceto
developcapabilitiesincanoeingandsportslikejudoandtaekwondo.MallakhambisbiginMaharashtra,andgymnasticsisanatural
extensionforthis.
AcrossIndia,clustersofexcellencebysportcanbedeveloped,basedonnaturalinclinationsandheritagethatarevisible.Wecanwinourfair
shareofmedalswiththisfocus.Wemuststarttomorrow.
ShekarSwamyisGroupCEO,R.K.SwamyHansa
Printableversion|Aug26,201612:17:37PM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/howtowinmedalsin
olympics/article9032506.ece
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