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Antwerp Games, 1920: Funding
Sources: From the archives of The Times of India: 2008: Ronojoy Sen
The India Story by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta
Tata’s Olympic safari
There is hardly anyone who hasn’t heard of Jamshedji Tata. But few remember his elder son Dorab. To this Tata goes the credit of starting the Olympic movement in India. Dorab Tata was mostly educated in England and his interest in sport was a result of his Western upbringing.
In the 1880s and ’90s, Dorab Tata was active in organising school and college cricket in Bombay. He then became involved with the Deccan Gymkhana where he was nominated president. The committee, which ran the Gymkhana, was not conversant with the details of managing athletic meets on European lines and wanted to develop their sports programme more in line with established Indian traditions.
At the first athletic meet the Gymkhana organised, Dorab Tata discovered that the competitors were “all boys of the peasant class working in the fields and living off poor fare”. Naturally they had no idea of European rules or modern training of any kind. Dorab Tata found that the competitors were proposing to run their 100-yard heats round a bend without strings. This was because their sports ground was very small and the track was part of a rough unrolled grass field.
O t h e r p o p u l a r events included the long distance race of about 25 miles. The peasants who participated were used to running barefoot on hard macadamised or dirt roads. Despite their lack of training and primitive conditions, the first three or four men ran the distance in good time. Dorab Tata felt that their time compared well with those in Europe or elsewhere. In 1919, some of their times were close to the times clocked in the Olympics.
Suitably impressed, the Tata scion decided to send three of the runners, at his own expense, to the Antwerp Games of 1920. Later he wrote a letter to IOC president Count Baillet Latour explaining his motives: “I therefore offered to arrange for the sending of three of the best runners to Antwerp to run the Olympic marathon at the next meeting, when I hoped that with proper training and food under English trainers and coaches they might do credit to India.”
Ultimately six or seven athletes from India proceeded to Antwerp with Dorab Tata bearing a bulk of the cost, which was estimated to be Rs 35,000. Dorab, however, only visited Antwerp briefly. Suffering from poor health, he could not find time to see the Games or meet the Indian contingent.
Thus began India’s eventful Olympic journey.
Olympic medallists: rewards from the private sector
INDIA’S LONDON CHAMPS: ONE YEAR LATER
THE DIMINISHING BRAND
Olympic Medallists Rue Lukewarm Response From India Inc
Biju Babu Cyriac | TNN
The Times of India 2013/08/07
While the Olympic medallists have got decent monetary rewards, mostly from the government sector, many endorsement offers were supposed to come their way as top corporates showed interest. But a year later, they did not materialize, and at least the Andhra Pradesh government is yet to hand over promised land and awards of Rs 50 lakh each to Narang and Saina Nehwal.
For some, a job promotion hasn’t happened while some await promised financial rewards. The euphoria following India’s improved performance in London — where the country won two silver medals and four bronze — may have lasted for months but it wasn’t enough to convince corporate to make a move away from the cricketers.
Although several offers were made, most of them fell through at the negotiation stage. “Even in the case of Saina Nehwal, most of her endorsement offers came before the Olympics. She hasn't got any big deals for winning the bronze medal in London. Maybe Mary Kom, bronze winner in women’s boxing, has got one or two offers but in all these cases the figures quoted may not be true. Even if they have signed for free, they will quote a high figure to float the brand,” sources told TOI.
Dismayed at the turn of events, athletes are now wondering whether India's corporates will ever come around to promoting Olympic sports.
IOA GOES BACK ON PROMISE
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has gone back on its promise that money raised through sponsors for the London Games would go only to athletes. The association has now decided that all the officials who travelled to London too deserve princely sums!
“The IOA raised a total of Rs 3.25 crores from five companies in sponsorship money and then-president VK Malhotra had promised that all the money will go only to the 83 athletes (approx 3.92 lakh each) who represented India. But they have not done that as IOA officials decided to grant an allowance of Rs 50,000 to coaches and support staff. This meant athletes who toiled got much less than promised,” sources said.
VIJAY KUMAR
(Silver; Shooting, Men's 25m rapid fire pistol)
The Army shooter competed in London without any expectations of a medal and returned home after bagging the silver in an exciting duel against Leuris Pupo of Cuba and Ding Feng of China, who settled for the bronze. Vijay's Olympic glory got him on par with Athens silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, with the Army promising to explore ways to make him a commissioned officer. The subsequent financial rewards ran into crores.
REWARDS: Rs 1 crore (HP govt), 3 kg gold (Sahara), 50 lakh (Rajasthan govt), Rs 30 lakh (sports ministry), 30 lakh (defence ministry), Rs 20 Lakh (NRAI).
SUSHIL KUMAR
(Silver; Wrestling, Men's freestyle 66kg)
Already basking in the glory of the bronze medal he won in Beijing in 2008, Sushil raised the bar further with another stunning performance last August — this time a glittering silver. The Delhi grappler is not the one who will sit on his laurels and returned to rigorous training soon after. He is now eyeing further glory at the Rio Games in 2016.
REWARDS: Rs 2 crore (Delhi govt), Rs 1.5 cr (Haryana govt), Rs 75 lakh (Railways), 3kg gold (Sahara), Rs 30 lakh (sports ministry). Land from Haryana govt for academy.
YOGESHWAR DUTT
(Bronze; Wrestling, men's freestyle 60kg)
The real surprise of the Games, Dutt repeated Sushil’s feat by grabbing bronze after climbing his way up through repechage. A year later the new hero of wrestling is nursing an injury that has forced him out of the world championships.
REWARDS: Rs 1 crore and land (Haryana), Rs 50 lakh (Rajasthan), 2kg gold (Sahara), SUV (from PSU Bank), 20 lakh (sports min).
GAGAN NARANG
(Bronze; Shooting, Men's 10m air rifle) The Hyderabad-based shooter won India's second consecutive medal in the event after defending champion Abhinav Bindra crashed out in the first round. It was a brilliant show from Narang as he battled back from the crushing disappointment of missing out in 2008. The ace shooter is now in great demand for motivational lectures across boardrooms. With the qualification cycle for the next Games yet to start, it is now time for Narang to finetune his technique.
REWARDS: Rs 1 cr (Haryana govt), 50 lakh (Rajasthan govt), 2kg gold (Sahara), 20 lakh (sports min), 15 lakh (NRAI)
MC MARY KOM
(Bronze; Boxing, women's flyweight)
With women's boxing making its debut, London was the first opportunity for the multiple world champ to enter the Olympic ring. The Manipur girl had to endure anxious moments before she got a wild card for London. ‘Magnificent Mary’ didn't disappoint, claiming bronze. Mary and her husband Onler have toured the whole of country many times since, being guests of honour at functions. Mary, a mother of three, is now awaiting the release of her Bollywood biopic.
REWARDS: Rs 50 lakh and two acres of land (Manipur), Rs 50 lakh (Rajasthan), 2kg gold (Sahara), Rs 40 lakh (north eastern council), Rs 20 lakh (Assam), 20 lakh (sports min).
SAINA NEHWAL
(Bronze; Badminton, Women's Singles)
Gagan Narang and Sania Mirza's city mate Saina went into the Games as one of the strong medal contenders. She lived up to her billing, delivering a medal, though it came with a bit of luck as rival Wang Xin retired hurt in the bronze medal match. A year later, the high-flying Indian who rose to No. 2 in world rankings is bidding to recapture her top form in the ongoing World Championships.
REWARDS: Rs 1 cr (Haryana), Rs 50 lakh (Rajasthan), 2kg gold (Sahara), Rs 25 lakh (BAI), 20 lakh (sports min), honorary doctorate from Mangalayatan University.
