The recently concluded Paris Olympics saw the Indian contingent return with six medals, sparking a debate on the effectiveness of the training and funding provided to the athletes. The Ministry of Sports and Sports Authority of India reported an expenditure of ₹470 crore across 16 disciplines for athlete training.

Despite Neeraj Chopra securing a silver medal following his gold in Tokyo 2020, and Manu Bhaker winning two bronze medals in shooting, as well as a bronze from the hockey team, several disciplines, including badminton and weightlifting, fell short of expectations. India’s performance in badminton was particularly disappointing, with no medals won, and athletes like Mirabhai Chanu narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place finish in weightlifting.

A particularly disheartening moment came when Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50 kg wrestling category after being 100 gm overweight before the finals. Although Phogat appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Paris for a joint silver, her petition was dismissed. India’s overall ranking, 71st out of 84 countries, highlights the discrepancy between investment and outcomes.

New stars

However, the rise of new stars such as Aman Sehrawat, Sarabjot Singh, and Swapnil Kusale offers a glimmer of hope and suggests that India is on the right track in nurturing young talent. The effectiveness of the Khelo India scheme was evident, with 28 of the 117 athletes representing India in Paris being Khelo India athletes.

Despite the encouraging signs, India’s total tally of 41 Olympic medals since its debut in 1900 is a stark reminder of the need for introspection and strategic planning. With a population of over 1.4 billion, it is crucial to analyse why India struggles to secure more medals at the Olympics and how to improve its global standing in sports.

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