Friday, August 22, 2008

Are we a selfish nation?


The news headlines read
Gurgaon-based low-cost carrier SpiceJet Ltd announced on Thursday that freestyle wrestling champion Sushil Kumar, who won a bronze at the Beijing Olympics, can travel free on the airlines all his life.
The Haryana government on Wednesday announced a cash reward of Rs 2.5 million for Beijing Olympic wrestling bronze medalist Sushil Kumar.
It is a great achievement by Sushil. He is the new icon for Delhi and I will give him a cash award of Rs 5 million. His coach Satpal will also get promotion,"

Proud nation cheered the Olympic hero with Cash awards to the tune of Rs.1.65 crores with many more to come.

But the question is - where was the nation when they required it the most? The founder and head coach of Guru Captain Chandrup Akhara Captain Chandrup uses his Army pension and farmland resources to maintain the place. The akhara houses 150 pehelwans, who have to share the small hacks — 13 to a room. In fact, wrestlers at this akhara are lucky as it is part of a stadium and uses equipment supplied by the Sports Authority of India. Still, the wrestlers do not have proper access to weight-training facilities!

The situation gets more outrageous considering the fact that Kumar had to grapple with absence of a masseur as survived bout after bout to win India's second medal in Beijing Olympics.

Sushil reveales...

"Going into my fourth bout of the day, I was really tired and there was hardly any time to relax in between. I badly needed the rubbing and massaging. We did not have a dedicated masseur. I asked a masseur 'Do you have time to attend me?' and he said no. "So team manager Kartar Singh had to do the job. We did not have any idea about the doctors either, who had been attached with the contingent,. .

By the way, it may be be a minor fact that Sushil Kumar hails from the same neighbourhood as that of Virender Sehwag, the crowned Nawab of Najafgarh.

Have we become a nation who celebrates only success? Is there no support for people who are striving for success?

1 comment:

1conoclast said...

Very valid points P.