Among the nations competing for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games is the Indian Olympic Team. Well, Team India has 3 athletes competing in Vancouver and no support, little money and no uniforms for the opening ceremony until now, all courtesy of a local fundraiser
CBC News is reporting on their morning radio show that upon the Team India's arrival, local members of the Indian community discovered the Indian Olympic Team's plight and stepped in with a fundraiser.
A local sports apparel owner is frantically whipping up uniforms for the Indian Olympic Team complete with Indian Flag.
The Indian Winter Olympic Team for Vancouver 2010 has an alpine skier, a cross country skier and a luger.
The most well known Indian Olympic Athlete is Shiva Keshavan who is competing in the luge. A three time Olympian, Shiva Keshavan told the Vancouver Sun that up until recently he had no luge until a group of Indian lawyers stepped in and bought him a new one.
"Keshavan’s Vancouver 2010 dreams were almost dashed when his sled broke during training in November.
Five Indian lawyers heard about his plight, however, and pooled together 450,000 rupees [about $10,500 Canadian] to buy him a new one.
“It was such unexpected support,” said Keshavan. “Out of the blue they just contacted me and said they wanted to help. It’s a great feeling to know you’re being appreciated by people all over the country.”
Then there is Jamyang Namgial, an Alpine Skier and Tashi Lundup a cross-country skier.
Unfortunately, support for Olympic Athletics particularly Winter Sports is virtually non existent in India.
At the Nagano Winter Games in Japan Keshavan left the Olympic Village in disgust, according to the Indian Express Newspaper.
"Even people volunteering to assist our team have threatened to give in their resignations. For example, the Norwegian ski coach has not been paid his dues and not been reimbursed his airfare and was even asked to pay for the Olympic uniform provided to him,” he claimed.
Without naming the Winter Games Federation of India, Keshavan also alleged that sports officials had stolen and diverted funds sanctioned for him. However, the 24-year-old athlete has already set his sights on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and said he would not let officials put a dampener on his preparations for future luge events."
With over a 1 billion people in India it is shocking to know that it has only one individual gold medal at the Olympics and that happened in 2008 in Beijing. In fact, the most medals India has ever won at Olympics is 3 - that too happened in 2008.
The reason some say for this pathetic record is Cricket is the only well funded sport in India. That is only partially true. The other reason has to do with corruption and simple neglect. A third reason, and some may argue with me on this, is I have noticed a lack of of support from families and communities for Indian sons and daughters who display Athletic skills - clubs and sports organizations don't receive the funds they need because what little is available is often sucked up by corrupt officials.
The situation is a disgrace. India can launch satellites and space program, it be a source for amazing hi-tech companies but it can't adequately support its young athletes like those competing here in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games.
Team India should not have to rely on a fundraiser to make ends meet at the Olympics - appalling simply appalling.
Article adopted from NowPublic News Coverage
Indian Winter Olympic Team: Team India Fundraiser Vancouver 2010 | The News is NowPublic.com
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