"Women, only" — India's hope of bringing double-digit medals in Olympics
Taking from the books of USA and China, India needs to invest and trust its women athletes more to ensure a double-digit medal showing at the Paris Olympics.
Women, World-beaters, Winners - Mirabai Chanu, Mary Kom, PV Sindhu and Aditi Ashok
The last time a male Indian athlete won a silver medal at the Olympics before the Tokyo Games was wrestler Sushil Kumar in London in 2012. It took nearly 3,288 days for another Indian man, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, to win silver on August 5, 2021, to repeat another such heroic feat.
In the meantime, badminton star PV Sindhu equalled Sushil's double Olympic feat, while weightlifter Mirabai Chanu claimed silver to take the women's silver medal tally to two.
Since the fin de siècle, India's women athletes had started making their presence felt in the nation's sporting culture. The likes of Karnam Malleswari, the first Indian woman Olympic medalist, Alka Tomar, the first Indian woman wrestling world medalist, were the flag bearers of this welcome revolution.
Ace pugilist Mary Kom and shooter Heena Sidhu only strengthened the legacy. By the time the Tokyo Olympics came, the torch was passed on to the trusted hands of Chanu, Sindhu and Vinesh Phogat and one Lovlina Borgohain.
Today, India boasts of having promising women talents in major Olympic events like wrestling, boxing, badminton and shooting. With multiple women world-beaters at the heart, the country eyes to better its tally at the Paris Olympics. But is it that easy?
While it is not easy, truth be told, women are the key to India's double-digit at the Olympics.
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The wonders of correct strategy
For perspective, China and the USA, the two heavyweights at the Summer Games, have started investing in promoting their female athletes. They have introduced programmes at the school and college levels to find the best talents.
It is no coincidence then that China has won 75% of its golds since 1984 in six sports: shooting, table tennis, badminton, diving, weightlifting and gymnastics. Over two-thirds of those golds have come in the form of female champions, and nearly 70% of the Dragon's Tokyo delegation were women.
USA too has started making grounds to catch up with the dominance of Japan in women's wrestling. The event, which had become a medal sport at the 2004 Athens Games, was an ideal target for the strategy of the Stars and Stripes to strengthen their women grapplers. It was still a niche pursuit for women to take up the combat sport, which was known for being male-dominated.
But with careful strategy and proper support system, the USA is becoming a force to reckon with. This year, they have introduced wrestling at the collegiate level, further intensifying their will to become the best in both men's and women's wrestling.
Women still the after-thought in India
India, on the other hand, is yet to understand its own capabilities. Despite women achieving new heights with every passing year, they still hunt for relevance and opportunities.
In the last three Olympics, India has won a total of 15 medals of which seven were won by women. At the 2016 Olympics, the country won just two medals both by women – PV Sindhu won silver, while Sakshi Malik bagged bronze.
Moreover, the women athletes despite the lack of competitions continue to shine at every given opportunity.
Take the example of Indian women's boxing. It has been five months since the national championships were held in Hisar, Haryana. Since then, the female pugilists continue to wait for the World Championships.
They have got only one competition, the recently concluded Strandja Memorial Boxing Competition in Bulgaria, compared to men, who have had two competitions since their nationals.
However, while the men continue their struggle, women shone brightly in Bulgaria. The only medals that came from the competition were by Nitu, gold medalist in 48kg, and Nikhat Zareen, won the 52kg title and Nandini bagged a bronze medal in 81kg.
If this isn't enough, at the ongoing shooting world cup in Cairo, Egypt, the women's team dominated despite the fact they were missing their star shooter Manu Bhaker. Esha Singh, Shri Nivetha and Ruchita stepped up to win the women's 10m air pistol team event. Meanwhile, Rahi Sarnobat, Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan also clinched the gold in the 25m pistol women's shooting team event.
Additionally, Esha Singh, aged 17, also won a silver on her debut at the 10m air pistol event which boasted the likes of Olympic medallists Korakaki and Vitalina Batsarashkina of Russia as competitors.
While all this clearly shows India's strength in women's sports and also makes the basis of the argument, the country is yet to realize its true potential.
One reason for it is the lack of parity between men and women competitions.
Women, World-beaters, Winners
The Services and the Railways are the two biggest feeders of talent in Indian sports. The two boards scout young kids with potential and groom them to become world-beaters. But while the Railways has managed to inculcate the women's division in its goal for Olympic gold, the Services have yet to realize it.
To put it in context, Men's Services boxing nationals is argued as one of the most competitive events in India. Many even term it as equivalent to the boxing nationals, which is often used to select teams for World Championships and sometimes other marquee events. However, there is still no such event for women.
Another example is Indian hockey. There was euphoria after the men's hockey team's Olympic bronze medal glory. And why not. India had finally climbed the podium after 41 years led by Manpreet Singh & co.
Many thought that this was the start of the glory days. But fast forward to March 2022, the men's hockey team has been struggling in the FIH Pro League. Although ranked second in the standings, it faced a humiliating defeat against France and had to fight out a draw against Spain last week.
The women, on the other hand, have been on a roll. Playing against a stronger Spanish, Chinese and Netherlands side, the Women in Blue boast a 3:1 win-loss ratio. Interestingly, this is the first time India has fielded its women's side in the Pro Hockey League.
Another reason for it is the lack of support from society. Women are still seen as homemakers in many rural parts of India. While there are efforts to break the stereotype, the pace of the result is so slow that it is almost negligible.
An amendment is the need of the hour?
One of the solutions to these problems is introducing an amendment similar to the 'Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972' programme in the USA.
This education amendment in the US, 'prohibits sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The act was a game-changer in the country's sporting culture which has continued to win medals in triple digits.
Both men and women were now being looked at through the same glass. There are an equal number of opportunities for anyone regardless of their gender, the result of which has started reciprocating now.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the USA women wrestlers won four medals in six weight classes and finished second in the team's ranking behind Japan.
As Mao Zedong, founding father of the People's Republic of China, famously said: "women hold up half the sky" - India needs to open its eyes and look up, for once.
If India really wishes to make a difference at the Paris Olympic Games, they need to put their trust in its women athletes. The likes of shooter Manu Bhaker, wrestler Anshu Malik and golfer Aditi Ashok can become the needed push the country needs to enter the double-digit club.