When a country as large as India has produced so few Olympic winners that most kids can rattle off the names of the majority of them, it’s clear that we, as a country, are not a ‘sports’ nation. Each year, we scramble for the crumbs of good news; a bronze medal here, a silver there. In the 2008 edition, India was 50th on the medal tally, behind even countries like Estonia and Latvia. The Olympics are clearly not for a country like India – it’s like Sholay hoping to win an Oscar.
Even if one might argue that as a contingent we just make up the numbers and languish at the bottom of the points table, it doesn't take away the joy of watching a Bolt, Isinbayeva or Federer compete on the grandest stage. Of course, when Abhinav Bindra shoots down a gold, the interest factor for every Indian increases thanks to media coverage. It's our bad luck that we don't have a Carl Lewis or an Ian Thorpe, but that doesn't mean Indians can't appreciate the beauty of their art.