Hope politicians will stick to their promises for athletes

Representation pic. Pic/iStock

Now that the Tokyo Olympics are done and dusted with, there will be analysis, debate and opinion as there should be, about India where we surpassed ourselves and where we fell short of expectation. Throughout, our efforts must be consistent to better our podium finishes at the next Olympics in Paris.

One big part of getting better is athlete satisfaction, and athlete ambition. Post Tokyo, a host of political leaders have emerged promising our medal winners and even those who put up a good show, money for their medals as awards and jobs, promotions etc.

There have been several announcements and all the acknowledgements and rewards are welcome. There is one small aspect though. They must materialise, it must happen. That money, promotions, cars or whatever has been promised must be given to the sportsperson.

It is no use making pronouncements for two minutes of fame, which one does not say has been done but there has been plenty of this in the past, and then there is convenient amnesia.

One good thing about social media amongst its many ills is that one's digital footprint cannot be wiped out. It lives on many years after you and Mr. Important leader can always be reminded and become red-faced, even through that trademark thick skin about the promised prize money never reaching the athlete at all.

In the past, it was common to hear athletes say that they had been promised something, they had read about it in the papers, but that reward never came at all. Like the no medal of any colour show at an Olympics, let us leave all that behind. A new era in sports, feel good phrases get real meaning when we focus on these points as well.