One step for an Indian, a giant leap for India

Abhinav Bindra winning the first individual gold medal in the Beijing Olympics is a giant leap for India. From a country of one billion people, one man winning a gold medal in 28 years is a feat that is no less, in effect, than the day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969.

This win shows that we have what it takes to win at the Olympics. It is not only just about the skills but the attitude. Bindra proved that if you have the attitude for winning, we can. He could have easily felt inferior going from a country where this particular event is unheard of, where sport is still in its nascent stage, except for cricket. It is important to instill this attitude in all Indian sportsmen and women.

The first step is to be at the top of the medal tally at the SAF games. If we can have the zeal and the attitude to win at big events, playing at the FIFA world cup cannot be very far. No matter whether the political system supports it or not, corporates and individuals can come together to build the infrastructure. There are so many countries whose sportsmen win at the Olympics despite the limitations they have in their country.

We know where the gold lies. All we need is an attitude to dig for it.

Cheers!

Learning from IPL T20
The recently concluded IPL had a big significance in our lives. It was not just a game of cricket, but much more than that. For us sitting at home and watching the big game on TV was so much inspirational, I wonder how it must have been to witness the game on the field. Here are some of the lessons we can learn.

Boundaries broken
The tournament had players from all over the world and they were not identified as Indians or Australians or Pakistanis but by the names of their teams. Certainly it is nothing new in Europe but it is a new concept for a lot of people in this region. There was oneness in them. They showed their respect for each other through trust, honor and friendship. They were not held hostage by their political boundaries when it came to achieving a common goal. It was nice to see captions on newspaper like ‘Mathew Hayden of Chennai Super Kings’ or ‘Jayasurya of Mumbai Indians’.

Teamwork matters
An individual can only imagine what a team can achieve. The Rajasthan Royals was considered the weakest of the lot, but they proved everyone wrong by their teamwork. They did not have any star player in the team. It was the only team to have a 38 year old retired captain. There was only one player in the team who had played from the Indian team in ODIs. The team went on to win the trophy. It is the not the big names that matter in a team but individuals who are a cohesive lot.

A leader builds
A leader can make or break a team. The Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Warne showed the world what it takes to be a good leader. They could have easily become their own victim if they had thought that they were the weakest team. Warne capitalized on the strengths of his teammates rather than worrying about their weaknesses. He did not ask his boys to work on their weak points but encouraged them with titles unique to their abilities.

"Leadership is the energetic process of getting people fully and willingly committed to a new and sustainable course of action, to meet commonly agreed objectives whilst having commonly held values"

Healthy entertainment
It was all about healthy and positive entertainment. With so much ‘unhealthy’ and ‘Parental Guidance required’ shows and ‘family problem’ soaps, this one was a champion. This surpassed all former TV entertainment in India. There was so much relief from the usual slapsticks and 'reality shows'. I am sure the Saas-bahu saga had to go through a bad phase for 45 days. People could see that the best team can lose at times but that does not mean the end of the world. The viewers could empathize with the feeling the players went through in the tournament - the feeling of hope, joy, passion, anger and frustration.

Equal opportunity
The greatest contribution of the IPL may be this; that every player, big or small, got equal opportunity to prove their mettle. We witnessed some of the finest talents on the field which otherwise would have just died without ever being noticed.

Welcome Euro 2008!