Olympic losers: Why is India so bad at sport?

[Gibbs]

I would be very very happy if we can win TEN medals

Even if it is like TWO gold ; Three silver and Five Bronze -- I would be very happy

Exactly what i was asserting.. There is heavy expectations on the Indian contingent to deliver the goods this time given the investment, If they fail in that potential, There will be massive disappointment no doubt

What kind of ignorant brag is this? Chinese superstar Liu Xiang, Golden Medalist - 110-metre hurdles - Men, 2004 Athens olympics, record-breaking.

Yes my bad and apology for that.. Liu Xiang, was indeed the first Chinese medal winner in sprints for China in 2004

But Correct me if i'm wrong till him no other Asian apart from those two i mentioned have won Olympic sprint event medal

 

[Spring Onion]

Sania Mirza in a recent interview said it very correctly.

She said, I hate to break it to you guys, but we are seriously genetically compromised when it comes to other races when it comes to athletics. She was comparing herself to the 6+ girls on the women's circuit (6'4" in heels is how she put it lol) strutting all over the place.

Now we would all agree that Sania is not small by Indian woman standards.

and here comes the nationalist brigade looking for you for this comment.

On a serious note the reality is that despite spending billions we do not bother to spend much on sports. Still those who are making India proud are doing it by their own just for the sense of pride which they hold dear than the money

 

[AndrewJin]

I think Indians should start from community-level, every citizens engage in daily exercises and sports.
It will not only build a huge pool of potential sportsmen/sportswomen, cultivate a sense of "everybody is exercising" social norm, but also significantly improve people's general health condition and life expectancy.

In my city, after dinner, public squares and community parks are full of people doing exercises. All school stadiums and playgrounds are open to public after teaching hours for free.

We have a Yangtze River bank park stretching nearly 30km. Now we are upgrading the river bank parks to 55km long, 6 million m2 big.

 

[Jai.Singh]

Sports comes last.. first is studies we dont have anything for unemployed people. Government pays less to athletes. Only gods we know are cricket gods rest sports are meh. Parents also encourage people to do more in studies rather than in sports.

Probably see why we rank so low. If anything, it's a miracle we produce any world class non cricketing sports persons at all. Besides, culturally, how much effort do we put into sports and physical fitness in general?

God knows how many potential milkha singhs are just sitting in a sarkari office stamping documents like duds... or struggling away somewhere to make ends meet.

 

[Kambojaric]

South Asia is an embarrassment as far as Olympic medals are concerned. Per capita Afghanistan has the highest medals, followed by Pakistan. India falls at last on the list and Bangladesh doesnt even exist on the list because it has never won a medal!

Rank, Country, Number of Medals, Per capita Medals,

128) Afghanistan, 2, 12,242,800

132) Pakistan, 10, 17,930,900

133) Sri Lanka, 1, 20,653,000

139) India, 26, 47,749,690

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

(Note: Sri Lanka has actually won two medals in Olympics meaning their per capita medals are 10,326,500, this takes them up to 127th place)

 

[pher]

Exactly what i was asserting.. There is heavy expectations on the Indian contingent to deliver the goods this time given the investment, If they fail in that potential, There will be massive disappointment no doubt



Yes my bad and apology for that.. Liu Xiang, was indeed the first Chinese medal winner in sprints for China in 2004

But Correct me if i'm wrong till him no other Asian apart from those two i mentioned have won Olympic sprint event medal

At least japs also win bronze medal of man 4x100 in 2008 olympics, there maybe more. But the only golden from Asia belongs to China. Of course Sri lanka did exceptionally well considering the size of your country.

 

[adil_minhas]

South Asia is an embarrassment as far as Olympic medals are concerned. Per capita Afghanistan has the highest medals, followed by Pakistan. India falls at last on the list and Bangladesh doesnt even exist on the list because it has never won a medal!

Rank, Country, Number of Medals, Per capita Medals,

128) Afghanistan, 2, 12,242,800

132) Pakistan, 10, 17,930,900

133) Sri Lanka, 1, 20,653,000

139) India, 26, 47,749,690

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

(Note: Sri Lanka has actually won two medals in Olympics meaning their per capita medals are 10,326,500, this takes them up to 127th place)

There must be more than just genetics though.

Look at Iran. It is a powerhouse in lifting and wrestling. Lots of Iranian type genes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Why nothing similar?

 

[nik141993]

vegetarian diet is the main reason

 

[Kambojaric]

There must be more than just genetics though.

Look at Iran. It is a powerhouse in lifting and wrestling. Lots of Iranian type genes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Why nothing similar?

Nah nothing to do with genes. Simply a question of money and culture. We are taught from an early age to see sports as a hobby only. Parents quickly demoralise and dissuade their children from even contemplating a future as an athlete. A lawyer or doctor has far more prestige than a sprinter. Those few who do brave all of this and become professional sportsmen then have to face lack of funding and/or the complete absence of modern sporting infrastructure (as is the Keshavan guys story in the OP).

 

[Gibbs]

At least japs also win bronze medal of man 4x100 in 2008 olympics, there maybe more. But the only golden from Asia belongs to China.

Not that i know of (Searching online), Yes prior to Liu Xiang's Gold and World record, The only sprint Asian Olympic Medalists from Asia were two Sri Lankans

 

[Jai.Singh]

Rank, Country, Number of Medals, Per capita Medals,

128) Afghanistan, 2, 12,242,800

132) Pakistan, 10, 17,930,900

133) Sri Lanka, 1, 20,653,000

139) India, 26, 47,749,690

Rank, Country, Number of Medals, Total Medals as of now :

53) India : 26Medals

76) Pakistan : 10Medals

104) Afghanistan : 2Medals

128) Srilanka : 1Medals

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals:all-time

 

[Gibbs]

Nah nothing to do with genes

Nah Genes matter mate.. Along with ofcause sporting culture and resources to manage championship outfits.. For example there is a reason that disproportionate number of Sprint Champions comes from the Caribbean, Even those who have won medals for the US have Caribbean ancestry, Like wise East Africans excel in long distance events

So it's a combination of many factors

 

[Kambojaric]

Rank, Country, Number of Medals, Total Medals as of now :

53) India : 26Medals

76) Pakistan : 10Medals

104) Afghanistan : 2Medals

128) Srilanka : 1Medals

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals:all-time

This is the total medals list, the below link has the per capita medals list

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

 

[Gibbs]

128) Srilanka : 1Medals

Incorrect Sri Lanka has two silver medals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_at_the_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_White

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanthika_Jayasinghe

 

[pher]

Not that i know of (Searching online), Yes prior to Liu Xiang's Gold and World record, The only sprint Asian Olympic Medalists from Asia were two Sri Lankans

That is for sure. I only have the report of Chinese version. go check again.