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Triggering victory
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The success of China in international sport is worth examining after Li Du's gold medal, writes ABHIJIT SEN GUPTA
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China's Li Du is all smiles after winning the finals.
IN ITS hunt for medals at the Athens Olympic Games, China has got off to a flying start. What is the secret behind China's stupendous success in international sports? Medal-starved India would probably be eager to get an answer to that million-dollar question.
In this context, the comments made by India's ace shooter Anjali Bhagwat about Li Du, the Chinese gold medallist in the women's 10-metre air rifle competitions, may provide a clue.
According to Anjali, after a great performance in the World championships a couple of years ago, the 22-year-old Li Du had not been in the forefront. It was assumed that in domestic competitions she had not performed well and therefore she had been overlooked. So no one took her into account while predicting the medal winners at Athens.
But when the action got underway she came up with a record-breaking performance to take the gold and surprise every one. In reality Li Du had been preparing carefully for the Olympics. She told the media later that in practice she had been taking hundreds of shots every day.
The Chinese federation had also carefully studied the contestants who would be at Athens and planned Li Du's preparations accordingly.
It was the kind of coup that China has pulled off quite regularly and successfully at the international level. The Chinese play their cards very close to the chest and on the big occasion they bring out their trump card with a flourish. How they manage it is a puzzle, which could be worth solving especially for India, which is at its wits end in trying to gain some success.
Success story
In aspects such as physical structure and mental attributes Indian athletes are closer to Chinese counterparts than those in the U.S.A. and Europe. If the Chinese sportspersons can achieve triumphs by following their own methods, maybe India can also do the same. Perhaps, some effort should be made to try to understand what lies behind the success story of China in world sport.
In disciplines such as shooting, weightlifting, diving, judo, badminton, table tennis and gymnastics China is a major force at the international level. It is one of the few Asian countries, which can pose a threat to the superpowers of world sport from Europe and America.
The reasons for China's rise to the top is obvious to anyone who cares to note the country's inherent strengths. There is a tremendous amount of hard work, discipline and dedication involved. One example of this can be seen from the way China is preparing to host the next Olympics in Beijing.
The work is going ahead at such a rapid pace that according to reports the IOC has asked the organisers to go slow so that the work and other preparations can keep pace with the plans being made by the IOC.
Efficient job
A Chinese delegation is also present at Athens to study security arrangements and other organisational aspects of the Athens Olympics. One can be sure that when Beijing gets around to host the Games, it will do a typically efficient and successful job — not only in conducting the Games in a perfect manner but also in winning medals.
Li Furong, head of the Chinese contingent in his comments to the media at Athens, provided a brief insight into the factors that are important to them. According to him, the Chinese lay stress on selecting only the very best for international meets and they always prefer youth over experience. The average age of the Chinese athletes competing at Athens is only 23.
When it hosts the next Olympics, China is aiming to finish on top of the medal tally, even ahead of USA and Russia. If it succeeds in doing so, it will not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the performances of China in international sports.
So perhaps, it would be advisable for India to learn a few things from its more successful neighbour.
Striking silver
MAJOR RAJYAVARDHAN Singh Rathore's silver-medal winning performance in the men's double trap shooting competitions at Athens should give a big boost to the sport in India. The country's shooters had been doing well in recent times and much was expected from them. Eventually it was Rathore who pulled it off thanks to his fanatical devotion, unstinting preparation and unwavering focus on his objective.
His approach and commitment was truly worthy of an army officer. Shooting fans in Hyderabad will remember him for his triumph in the Afro-Asian Games at the shooting range at Hyderabad Central University.
Rathore, who has already made his mark at the international level with medal winning performances at several meets including a gold at the World Cup in Sydney, had said before going to Athens that his biggest challenge would be to treat the Olympics as just another competition and not let his nerves get the better of him at the big event.
That approach seems to have worked in his case and he has become the first ever winner of an individual silver medal for India at an Olympic Games.
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