No one knows I won a medal for India

I used to be a skilled archer but now I just teach at the local school. When I was a kid, I went to the circus and I was enamoured by an archery show held there. I knew then, that I wanted to be an archer.

Back in my days, pursuing such a career path was unheard of. I was doing it against all odds. And I was well aware of that. What I didn’t expect is how it would take a turn for the worse.

Back in my prime, I brought a medal back to India. I am very proud of it and when I won it, I had hoped that it would rouse the nation’s interest in archery. That somehow, this sport would earn a place in mainstream sports.

That’s not how it works though, does it?

It’s been 30 years since I brought home the medal. Has a lot changed since then? Not much, I’m afraid. Even today, archery comes into the limelight only when an archer wins. And it's is possibly talked about more when he or she loses. People who meet me, are surprised that I used to be an archer. Used to. They wonder why I gave it up, or why I didn’t take up coaching. I wanted to. I tried. But who would I coach? How would I convince the few hopefuls that one can be a successful archer in India? Isn’t archery a sport just like any other? Or am I being unrealistic to even assume that?

We need to acknowledge the problem with our sports doesn't lie with the athletes, but with us.

We have waited for the next Olympic champ to give up. For the next aspiring sports person to be discouraged and to turn away. For the next failure at an international championship.

We have simply waited until things blow out of proportion. Don’t wait before it’s too late. Start taking an interest and being a voice for our raw talent that’s on the verge of giving up.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!