O P Jaisha got unconscious after the line just completing her race due to dehydration. Image Courtesy – Yahoo
A country of more than 132 billion people was waiting for a gold medal in Rio Olympics 2016 from the Team India, but ultimately they got frustrated due to the corruption got sticky from top to bottom in sports ministry.
From the reports that have risen up out of Rio Olympics 2016, it appeared that Indian officials treated being a piece of the Olympic contingent like a completely paid vacation. Whether it was Vijay Goel’s unruly escort, absence of sports officers for marathon runner OP Jaisha, no physiotherapist for Dipa Karmakar or doctors who knew nothing about sports medicine, our authorities surely kept the Indian banner flying high at Rio.
Vinesh Phogat got injured in Rio:
Vinesh Phogat got injured in Rio Olympic Games 2016. Image Courtesy – DNA India
India’s Chief Medical Officer at Rio Pawandeep Singh is a radiologist just like the other doctors in Rio, Col R S Negi. Truth be told, by Indian Express report, Negi has never managed any sporting event including national championships, National Games or any inter-services meet. For Pawandeep Singh and Col R S Negi, both the appointments were results of power or influence of favouring relatives or friends. The fact was that Pawandeep Singh was the son of IOC Vice President, Tarlochan Singh. Though Tarlochan Singh attempted to guard his son by saying his son was not unskilled, however, we do not know how his medical degree helps in the event that he is unable to help injured athletes.
Tarlochan Singh had told India Today that Pawandeep was not ignorant. He was authentic medical head of the SAF Games, an individual from the Commonwealth Games Medical Commission and a presumed worldwide polo player who has represented India on numerous events. However, he was not able to clarify why his son was chosen by the IOA president N Ramachandran. According to India Today, Col R S Negi is a distant cousin of IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta. So, it clearly proves that many of the Indian officials were chosen only on the basis of relation, and not for his calibre.
This implied competitors who got injured like wrestler Vinesh Phogat, marathon runner O P Jaisha, hockey player S V Sunil and even badminton player Saina Nehwal needed to discover other means to treat their wounds. But the country spent a huge amount of money on these officials for nothing.
While Sunil got treatment by hockey team physiotherapist Shrikant Iyengar, Saina expected to counsel IOC doctors. Then again, O P Jaisha claimed that she -was not given water or energy-drinks and got faint after the complete line of the marathon. Her coach Nikolai Snesarev was in the news for arguments with a nurse. As a result of this, he spent half of a day in prison however it emerged that it was because of his over-nervousness to get Jaisha treated rapidly. If Team India truly sent two doctors who were not at all sports doctors, somebody needs to clarify why our competitors were left to dehydration like this.
Vijay Goel’s appointment as Sports Minister in our Indian cabinet feels like a joke. In a democratic country like India where people elected them by their mandate, the Sports Minister has to answer to the people of India why this kind of corruption happened in selecting Officials of Team India? If the officials were unable to provide treatment and other facilities to the athletes, why were they sent utilizing people’s money? What were the functions of Pahlaj Nihalani and Gajendra Chauhan in the Sports Arena?
Goel was pulled up for his ‘wild escort’, who were apparently ‘forceful and inconsiderate’, and attempted to enter regions where they didn’t have permission to enter.
There was no water for OP Jaisha:
Marathon runner OP Jaisha asserted that during the women’s marathon, she was not provided with ‘water’ or ‘energy drinks’. She told us that it was exceptionally hot there. The event was at 9 am; she kept running in burning heat. There was no water for them, neither ‘recovery drinks’ nor ‘food’. Just once in 8 km, they got water from the Rio coordinators, which did not help at all. Every single nation had their stalls at an interval of each 2 km yet India’s stall was empty. What the officials were selected for? Were they sent for enjoying their vacation?
O P Jaisha fall down after the completing line and immediately had to be rushed to the hospital. Instead of taking her to the hospital, her coach Nikolai Snesarev got into a squabble, which resulted him being kept by cops for half of a day. Jaisha told that she was in a very bad physical condition.
AFI, however, attempted to move the accuse saying it was ‘the duty of organizers to give ‘water’ and ‘energy drink’ yet the coach or competitor did not inform them. It was more ridiculous that the Sports Minister Vijay Goel was also tried for a blame game, saying that it was the responsibility of Athletics Federation of India.
There was no physiotherapist for Dipa Karmakar:
Deepa Karmakar in Rio. Image Courtesy – Hindustan Times
While every one of us has been dumbfounded by Dipa Karmakar’s stunning story where she beat unfathomable chances to come fourth in the vault gymnastics final, she was also a victim of Indian administration at Rio 2016. Dipa’s solicitation for her long-time physiotherapist to go with her esteemed wasteful, and it was simply after she achieved the finals that SAI rushed her physiotherapist to Brazil.
While everybody is currently falling over herself to compliment Dipa for her inconceivable accomplishment, the lack of concern she confronted before on, even in the wake of turning into the first Indian lady to qualify for the gymnastics final stage how little her accomplishment intended to the organization.
Indian athletes were given peanuts:
Another unusual occurrence was the beer-and-peanuts episode at the Indian Embassy in Rio on Independence Day. Evidently, at a reception for the competitors on India’s 70th Independence Day, they were just served peanuts rather than an appropriate dinner. While some have told that it was a communication gap. Forcing out competitors to do without dinner when they needed proper food and proper rest appeared like a brutal joke or complete negligence.
The Olympic Games was actually Haryana Ministers Rio Excursion:
Haryana Minister Anil Vij. Image Courtesy – Hindustan Times
Anil Vij and some more Haryana Ministers went to Rio to learn and give enthusiasm to their competitors. It cost a total of Rs.1 crore regardless they missed their competitors’ occasions. We would need to expect they got lost in light of the fact that the ‘delegation of ministers’ missed events of Haryana pugilist Vikas Krishan, discus thrower Seema Poonia and Greco-Roman wrestler Ravinder Khatri and were rather seen investing energy in their beach hotel and touring the city.
Our players and athletes needed full assistance during their events like other countries, but our callous or, purposefully callous officials could not give them proper assistance. If our players could get the full assistance of the officials, they could have given their performance 200% for the country. The country of more than 132 billion people should think now what level of nepotism and corruption was being done for selecting Team India. Sports Minister must not avoid his responsibilities for this mockery of Indian Team.
