Motivational effort from fourth placed finishers
By Harpal Singh Bedi
Beijing, Aug 24 : When it comes to medals, fourth places always sting. Even though India
had its most successful Olymics this time, a good number of athletes amongst them had to
return home with a heavy heart as they missed out on medals by a whisker.
While Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar have inscribed their names in the
Indian sporting history, there were other names like Saina Nehwal, Akhil Kumar, Jitender
Kumar and the Tennis duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi who had the opportunity to
join the trio.
National Champion Saina Nehwal, who looked good to grab a medal for the country but her
gallant run in her maiden Olympics was cut short by Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia in
the quarter-finals.
A win at that stage against the Indonesian, who is three rungs below Saina in the
rankings, would have assured the Indian of a bronze medal for which she looked destined to
at one point with her 'giant killing' spree as she stunned World number 4 en route to the
last eight in the event.
However, Saina did receive the accolades which she thoroughly deserved as only an
extraordinary effort like the one she faced in the quarter-finals could end her Olympic
campaign.
Meanwhile, the much fancied duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi failed to make
their reunion count as they ran into an inspired Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in
the quarter finals.
Only a few would have expected Sushil Kumar to bag a bronze medal but the hopes of a
medal were high from the estranged Indian pair which was stopped from getting into the
semi-final stage but not before the two had aroused great expectations in the previous
rounds.
If Bindra's gold medal at the Beijing Olympics would be remembered forever by his
countrymen, Boxers, too, put their stakes high in the event.
It all started when Akhil Kumar made a stunning come back in his pre-quarterfinal round
to outpunch World Champion Sergey Vodopyanov of Russia and had his eyes set on a medal and
that too on Gold.
However, he stumbled at the last hurdle where he was overpowered by Moldovan Veaceslav
Gojan and his hopes were shattered with the loss but not before his effort had given his
Haryana pugilists - Vijender and Jitender - enough motivation to find a place on the
podium.
Meanwhile, on a day when two Haryana sportsperson - Vijender and Sushil - created
history by winning two individual bronze medals for the country there was Jitender Kumar
as well who could have made it to three medals in one single day if he had not failed to
cross the quarter final stage.
However, there were others who entered the Games village with high reputations but then
could not even come to close to the medal stage.
There was long jumper Anju Bobby George who could not record a single legal jump and
the shooters led by Athens Olympics' silver medallist Rajyavardhan Rathore, World Trap
Champion Manavjit Singh and Anjali Bhagwat and the Commonwealth Games superstar Samaresh
Jung.
Bindra did give India its first medal and that too a gold but still a little more was
expected from the nine-member Indian shooting contingent. Medals were far away from them
but they could not even produce any substantial performance in the event.
But the Beijing Olympics will always remain special for India as some of its unheralded
sportspersons made their presence count at the World stage. Their efforts would probably
prove to be a major catalyst in motivating their countrymen to go into the next editions
as a better force.
UNI HSB RAR RK1715
NNNN
--UNI
