The Olympic Playbook

November 14, 2021 | Sunday
Sporting has never been this competitive before, ever since I can remember in my small life span that I have spent here on planet earth, Sporting was about to make you relax, energies both Mentally and Physically, provokes strongest of emotions and enhances your collaborative skills.

Today sporting has become a cutthroat competition and money-making tool, well I am not against it, rewards are important. But don’t you think it needs to be about sports first, everything else comes second.
 
This came from the serious following up of the World’s Biggest Sporting Event that is “Olympics”. This Year Tokyo is hosting Olympic Games 2020 from 23rd July 2021 – 8th August 2021. While following I have mixed thoughts. Thoughts about how India can do better being an Indian, how a single event has so many versions, and a Lot More.
 
To understand it more clearly, I took a ride along the memory lane and did some time traveling in the past as well, that is how it all started. Olympics history dates to the 8th Century BC. Inspired from ancient Olympic Games used to be held in Olympia, Greece from 8th Century BC to 4th Century AD. The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. The competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat sports such as wrestling and the pankration, horse and chariot racing events. It has been widely written that during the Games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the Games were finished.
 
Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
 
The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities, the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, the five Continental games (Pan American, African, Asian, European, and Pacific), and the World Games for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games.
 
The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972. The Games also provide an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world.

It’s a good thing..., but hey! Its Sports don’t make it a Business nor the pride of Nation, that a Win or Lose becomes too much a Burden for Sports Men and Women. We should celebrate the events and educate our people about the positive aspects of it so more and more people can become as discipline, fit and healthy as a Sportsperson.

Which, made me think we are a country of 135 Billion people, yet we compete in very few categories. This Year alone more than 11,658 Athletes from 205 Countries in more than 50 disciplines and 33 Sports have participated in Tokyo Olympics. While writing this piece, China is leading with 36 Gold, 26 Silver and 79 Bronze, While "India is at 47th Position with 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze and a Total of 7 Medals". India’s tryst with the Olympics has not been so great India has won a total of 28 medals since 1900 - 11 from hockey, five from wrestling, four from shooting, two each in badminton, boxing and athletics, and one each in tennis and weightlifting.
 
Well as a Student even if you are not thinking of going to the Olympics or being a Sports person, these Medal tally and History is important for your competitive exam entrances so we have recently released a Monthly dossier i-Succeed Oneliners. It contains all the recent events including Olympics Details. Buy One Today and Brush You General Knowledge for the same.
 
Wishing You Good Luck and May The Sports Person in You Comes Fully Alive!

Anushree