New Delhi, August 9: Taking note of the best ever performance of the Indian contingent in Tokyo, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said, 2020 Olympics turned out to be the best moment for India in the last 121 years of the Games journey.
The Vice President noted that “it took such a long time to script a ‘we too can do it’ moment erasing the memories of desperation, despondency, dejection and disbelief, compounded by poor medal performance every four years.”
“The golden record of our men’s hockey team till 1980 and rare good performances by some individual athletes notwithstanding, our nation has come to lose self-esteem, confidence, morale and hope in the domain of sports further to poor performances in the Olympics arena over the years,” said the Chairman.
He said that no nation can hold its head high in any domain with such a lack of confidence and low self-esteem.
“More so, for a Young India, whose voice is finding increasing traction on the world stage with its rapid strides in scientific, technological and economic spheres. The Olympic spirit is no doubt, more about the spirit of participation than winning medals. However, the number of medals do matter as they come as the final testimony for the sporting prowess of any nation. More so, when Olympic medals add to the global perception of emerging economies with the level of sports being an important element of soft power,” the Chairman said.
He noted that in respect of the number of Olympic medals won, that our nation has been subjected to despair for too long.
Naidu said that the Tokyo Olympics turned out to be the best for our nation, “not only in terms of the highest ever number of seven medals won but also in terms of the grit demonstrated as was evident in quite a few close finishes and a large number of our athletes entering medal winning rounds of competition.”
Tokyo Olympics heralded resurgence, renaissance and national awakening in sports in our country by restoring the depleting confidence and self-esteem, he said.
He said India’s tricolor, “the symbol of national pride”, was hoisted in the Olympics arena after 13 long years in Tokyo.
“We hope to have more such glorious moments in the years to come as out sportspersons make it a habit of winning from now on,” the Rajya Sabha Chairman said.
Naidu lauded Neeraj Chopra for his Golden Javelin throw.
And noted that on the same day wrestler Bajrang Punia also did the country proud with a bronze medal.
The House also took note of the spectacular emergence of our women athletes in the international sports arena and their coming to the fore as medal winners.
“In the 2016 Rio games, both the medal winners were women. In Tokyo, 3 of the 7 medal winners were women. In the process, 5 of the 9 medal winners in the last two Olympics were women, a matter of celebration. Particularly so, when our women have to overcome orthodoxies and prejudices that restrict them from taking to sports. Our women sportspersons are scripting history and this bodes well for our medal hungry nation,” the Chairman noted.
The Chairman took note of the achievements of Rajya Sabha member Mary Kom, who represented the country in the Tokyo Olympics. (Agencies)
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