- Pratap Kumar Das.
It’s usually the
academic or entrance results which come with this tagline. But this time, it’s
the Olympics. And this time yet again these words resound with great fervor in
the entire nation. What was it that made Rio Olympics 2016 mark the emergence of
Girl Power and made it the the Games of the girls. Here we bring to the fore
the reasons why girls ruled the roost.
Our Indian women have a hard core and an even
tougher heart. Lets
face it, Indian women are under a lot of stress. Be it their personal issues,
family, or societal stereotypes, our women have faced it all. Don’t do this,
instead do that. Liberty and freedom for our women is a great struggle even
now. ‘Itne dhoop me mat khelo, kaaali ho
jaogi. Phir ladka milna mushkil hoga’ is a fairly familiar dialogue for
women athletes. ‘Ladkiya khel-kud thodi
na karti hai, ye to ladko ka kaam hai. Ladki ko to ghar sambhalna aana
chahiye.’ As if women athleticism is inversely proportional to your
housekeeping skills. In the end if a women makes through all this, what you get
is a women who has tough mind after going through these grinds and taunts of
people. They say the mental attitude is more important in sports than the
physical. Is there anyone who wants to bet on our Indian women’s mental
prowess?
Did anyone say our Indian women are weak
physically? It’s a
general notion that our women are easily gullible and can be intimidated
easily. But brace yourself people you all will be proved wrong. Manisha
Malhotra, former tennis pro, now as sports administrator, says she isn’t
surprised by the performance in Rio. “Sports
scientists, who studied the Indian body type and genetic disposition, concluded
that Indian women were closer to world standards physically than the men,” she
said. No wonder, our women fared so well in the Olympics. P V Sindhu, with her strapping figure and fist-pumping aggression
clinched a Silver. Sakshi Malik,
who’s adorable smile belies her tough physique gave us the first medal, a
bronze. Dipa Karmakar who’s Produnova (death-vault) made our hearts
race inspired us to appreciate gymnastics, which was an unheralded specialty in
the country.
Indian history has witnessed many
glorious women. From The
mythological Goddesses to the fearsome warrior, Rani Lakshmibai to the peace
saint, Mother Teresa, our nation has seen them all. History has anecdotes of
great women achievers. Its fitting enough that our women deserve the accolades.
The first women athletes to represent India in the Olympics were – N.Polley and
Sydney Jacob in tennis, 1924. In 1952, independent India sent its first women’s
representatives to the Olympics—Nilima Ghosh, Mary D’Souza (athletics); Dolly
Nazir, Arati Saha (swimming). But it was in 1984, that P.T.Usha who just missed
the bronze by a whisker became immortalized. Indian women found their place in
the World map. Generations to come by were inspired. Karrnam Malleswari,
weightlifiting, bronze (Sydney 2000); Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, double bronze
for the nation (London,2012) and P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik this time around.
Women of India, you are the nation’s real
assets. You took forward the hopes of a billion people and are an inspiration
for generations. Its high time that our women are treated at par with men and
get the attention and adulation which they rightly deserve. Cheers to the fairer sex.
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