Government not doing much to support players

GRIM REALITY: Indian players are struggling hard in a system which lents little support to them.

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New Delhi: While India is celebrating it's stellar performance in the Olympics, the conditions in which the players live say a complete different story.

The credit of the three moments in Beijing Olympics, which made India proud goes to Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijendra Singh. While, Abhinav won a gold in shooting, Sushil and Vijendra won one bronze each in wrestling and boxing.

They achieved this by struggling hard in a system which lent little support to them.

Abhinav was lucky because his father, an affluent businessman, went all out to support him and even built him an air conditioned shooting range to practice in.

But the wrestler who bagged the bronze had no such luck. Sushil’s hostel at Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi houses 20 people in one room with a single tubelight and two ceiling fans in the name of amenities.

“We live in horrible conditions. There is no space in this room. Around 15-20 people are stacked in one room. We don't even have a hall here,” says Mukesh who also stay in the same hostel as Sushil.

"This hostel room is the only thing we got from the government. We arrange our own food,” he adds.

“There are very few fans in this room. It gets very hot and it is difficult to practice under such conditions,” says another hosteller Surrender.

Vijendra Singh, may have assured himself a bronze but this boxer too had humble beginnings. And, therefore all his friends are ecstatic at his victory.

Neither the government's apathy nor the lack of amenities have deterred these men from achieving their dreams. As Vijendra goes back into the ring on Friday with hopes of a gold, perhaps the authorities decide to do more for its athletes.