CANADA OPEN
Indian women pair again led the way!
Does it matter if it is cricket or any other sport?
Because Indians always have a reason to be proud of .Joining the likes of SainaNehwal ,SaniaMirza ,Mary Kom who have already stablished themselves as some of the world’s best players follows in JwalaGutta and AshwiniPonnappa.
On 28th June this duo won the Canada open in badminton mixed doubles category after upstaging the top seeded Dutch pair of EefjeMuskens and Selena Diek and hence claiming the Rank 13 in the world badminton doubles ranking.
This dynamic dyad has already won gold and silver at 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth games respectively. But rejoice after this win as it firms their belief of bringing home gold for their nation in the next year Rio Olympics 2016.
However the Sports Ministry of India does not seems to be happy as they have not included JwalaGutta and AshwiniPonnappa in target Olympics funding scheme(TOPS) as the selection committee feels they are not medal hopes in the Olympics.
“This is a devastating news not only for us but also for all the children who would like to take badminton as their future sport”,saysGutta in a recent interview .She has proved herself at the international stage again and again by winning a bronze medal at BWF championship and Uber cup and becoming the first Indian women ever to have a medal at the world championship and the only Indian to qualify for 2 events..
Yet our government is blind enough not to acknowledge their feats. If India wants to win accolades in upcoming years, it has to support every sport and every individual equally. Even hockey in which India won six consecutive gold medals in Olympics between 1928 and 1956 is no more our National game. A disturbing truth for our nation.
In 2012 India won 2 silvers and 4 bronze at London Olympics making it the most successful Olympics ever .But did anyone watch the Paralympics which started just two weeks after? It was not even broadcasted by Doordarshan the National channel of India.
We are again faced by a moral question. Is India still not open to women wearing shorts and skirts? Is cricket still the only sport loved in India or money still the most imperative entity for our government?
- By Khushboo Jain