It’s not always easy to make the numbers speak. With only six medals on the clock, India only occupied the 71st position in the medal rankings of the last Olympic Games in Paris. Its athletes did not even bring a single gold charm back to New Delhi. With nearly a billion and a half inhabitants, Gandhi’s country is nevertheless the most populous country in the world. But, obviously, this statistic does not help him climb the steps of the podiums. Several reasons explain this shortage. From a sporting point of view, first of all, the former British colony has remained very attached to traditional local disciplines such as cricket or kabaddi, a combat sport which mixes rugby and wrestling and which hits the headlines of the gazettes throughout the year. From a political point of view, then, we do not detect a real desire to move the lines. China, another global mega demographic power, has made the hunt for Olympic medals a national priority, including in sports for which it has no great affinity. This is part of its institutional roadmap and its desire to improve its international image. India is not in this dynamic. She still happily lives in the shadows, more motivated to train high-level engineers than stadium champions. Should we blame him?
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