Games winners should be given the promised rewards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pic/AFP

The Asian Games medal winners are back home, and have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Each one of the victors, even those who may have missed out, will be back to their different homes now and pick up on a training and competition schedule once again, as and when their coaches and experts decide.

Performances will be decoded, analysed, weak areas will be identified, strengths will be played to. Sport today is highly technical and evolved on all aspects. It is really the science of the body taken to its heights through all the technology we have. We will see this coming into play now.

What is vital though is that all the money promised to our winners must come through, the rewards and awards given out. There are a couple of state associations that give awards or rather promise awards for their athletes but this, at times, remains on paper or has been in the past. We must see that these are actually given to the athlete and they do get that monetary acknowledgement to push that much harder, go the extra mile.

We must be practical and realise that it is money that makes the mare go round, or our athletes faster. What is promised and due must be given.

Our Asian champs now have to make that big leap from Asian Games podium to the Olympics, which is next year. That leap is very challenging to say the least. The rewards, good training, planned schedule and money which is not the sole but an important motivator for the next phase will put us on the path for Paris 2024.

Otherwise, you have a set of bitter and disillusioned young men and women, whose state of mind is reflected in their sporting performance. Let us celebrate our winners but translate that happiness into money, too.