'Absolute Dominance'

Viswanathan Anand celebrates our all-round sporting triumphs and talks of what lies ahead

The spurt in sporting achievements in recent times by Indians naturally invokes interest even if one is not dedicated or addicted to sports. I follow football and tennis regularly but when an Indian is getting noticed internationally, be it any sport I start following the news closely.

The best
Recent achievements by Indians is excellent for Indian sport, with Pankaj Advani winning the World billiards title in Leeds (UK), Vijender Singh winning a bronze medal at the World Boxing Championships in Italy and Leander Paes excelling at the US Open. All these achievements are of Indians measuring up to the best in their field.

Hallmark of a champion
Pankaj Advani beat a tough rival, Mike Russell, which clearly suggests that he was motivated to excel and go beyond his past achievements. This, I think, is the most essential hallmark of a champion.
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Raising the bar
The bronze at the Beijing Olympics was merely the start. Vijender followed that up with another bronze.
Saina Nehwal has been a revelation in badminton and her determination to break into the top five soon is obviously visible. As for Leander, I consider him a true sportsman, both 'on' and 'off' the court and I admire his ability to raise the bar when necessary.

Icons
In billiards, badminton and tennis, we have had icons that have excelled, shown the way. The next generation that comes along, has the benchmarks and should have the vision to aim further. This is how the sport gets a higher profile.

Domination
To be taken seriously as a sporting nation, we have to try for absolute dominance in the sport. These people have done just that!
However to sustain such efforts, it is imperative to understand that winning is not the end. It is always the beginning of a new and more difficult journey.

Challenge
Of course, when you have achieved something, it has to be cherished and acknowledged but one also has to understand that ultimately it is only the challenge, enjoyed en-route to the victory, which can only give you true satisfaction.

Sacrifice
To be a world-class sportsperson, dedication is needed and this has to come from within. The aim should always be in excelling and enjoying your skill and potential. If your sport has to be pursued abroad, then you have to be prepared to travel, train, adjust and even sacrifice.

Jaundice
In 1984, when I played the World Sub-Junior Championships, I was down with jaundice and throughout the event; I played looking downwards so that my yellow eyes would not be seen. Funnily, it was there that I met Alexey Dreev, Jeron Piket and Vassily Ivanchuk for the first time. I never really worried about hotels or food when I travelled in my earlier days. I had a walkman, which I would plug in and shut off other things for hours.

Talent
It is better to train our sights firmly on the people ahead of us rather than look behind and feel satisfied on what little we have achieved. And of course, the sporting community should nurture their talent to increase their potential.

As told to Manisha Mohite

Up, up and away India
> Vijay Mallya's Force India has a podium finish in the F-1
> Pankaj Advani wins the world billiards title
> Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes make it to the final of the US Open men's doubles (on opposite sides)
> Vijender Singh wins bronze at the World Championship boxing
> India wins the Nehru Cup football beating Syria
> The Indian cricket team takes top spot (on Friday) in the International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International ranking

Eye on the olympics

'Market the sports well now'
Viren Rasquinha, former hockey international and head of Olympic Gold Quest
"To have so many individuals doing well is surely a good sign. It's great to see that despite the lack of facilities and infrastructure, sportspersons are still doing well. But we cannot rest on these performances. Now that we have a few performances, we need to build on them. The need is to market the sports well now and run them professionally.

"I have no doubt about the immense raw skill we have, and it is great to see Indian athletes getting that self belief now that they can do well at the international stage. We need to give it a proper platform so that they can move forward. Else these performances will also be just one-offs.
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"Athletes themselves now need to have more belief and ambition. Since long, most of them have been happy just being good at the national level. Now, they need to get more disciplined and ambitious to compete and win at the international level. Everything else should just be looked at as a stepping stone towards winning at the Olympics. Olympics are the benchmark and we must start thinking now that we can be good enough to win there."

'Do our best to succeed in different sports'
Saina Nehwal, badminton champion, who aims to break into the top-5 this year
"There's no doubt things are changing for other sports and it is a good sign. Sponsors are coming in and there is also a bit more media attention. It shows that given the right kind of opportunity and support, we can do well in other sports also. But we are still not where we should be.

"When an individual or a team does well, the sport always gets attention; hence it is important that we, as players, do our best to succeed in different sports.

"With such a large population, we should not be lagging so behind in other sports. Cricket will always be the most popular sport but if media attention to other sports increases, then a lot of things can change.

"Even for the next two to three years, I don't see the scenario changing much. Things are beginning to fall in place to a certain extent but at a slower pace than in countries like US or China. Unless we start winning 20 medals at the Olympics we cannot be called a sporting powerhouse."

As told to Anand Naik