Tokyo Olympics 2020: Celebration of human will and spirit is here, let the Games begin

1432 days. That’s how long the wait has been, from Rio 2016 to Tokyo 2020. In an unprecedented time, in an uncertain world, after a year of debate, deliberations, and protests, the Olympics are here. The build-up has been far from ideal, the coronavirus has shown little signs of retreat, and whether the Games will be incident-free is anybody’s guess. But, take away all the variables, forget behind-the-scenes goings-on, ignore the insane dollars at work to make this happen, and it will all still come down to this day and these athletes who have gathered at the grandest stage, ready to display their wares. In the months leading up to the Games, table tennis star Sathiyan Gnanasekaran would wake up in cold sweat, fresh from dreaming of entering the Olympics arena. Shooter Anjum Moudgil would subconsciously slip into Tokyo’s Asaka Shooting Range, before pulling her thoughts away. Rani Rampal, the talismanic captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, admits to watching her defining goal on loop to keep her calm. These are not performing puppets; they are living, breathing exceptionally gifted men and women who have waited for their turn for five years. In pouring rain and biting cold, in sweltering heat and sapping dampness, they have chiseled their techniques and refined their form. A curve in the back, a tweak in the grip, an adjustment of facial fat, a recourse in painting, some Netflix, they have tried it all, and from today for the next two weeks, there won’t be any missteps. No fluffed lines, no sweaty palms, no mental demons allowed, and no matter how unrealistic these markers and the expectations of a 1.3-billion strong nation – woken suddenly from its sporting slumber – may be, these athletes have set the bar far higher for themselves. Training through COVID-19, getting infected, recovering, isolating, training again, no gyms, no outdoors, depleted muscle memory — the rigour and rigmarole is the same for every athlete across the world; each sculpted specimen driven by a simmering rage and a cold desire, each being coaxed for that extra repetition by the five rings that define their pursuit. And yet, as the pioneering legend Abhinav Bindra states , this is more than wins and losses. This is also about the personal and shared experiences, of values and vision, of beliefs and thoughts. Perhaps a world at conflict with itself can look at these Olympians – and the refugee team, in particular - for some inspiration. The journey of India can be ascertained through the Olympics prism with considerable accuracy. In 1948, late Balbir Singh Senior led the newly-independent nation to their first gold. Balbir has since repeated on multiple platforms how he could feel his spirits soar as he saw the tricolour going up in London. His spirits, and the tricolor, soared in 1956 and 1960 too, providing a young nation a semblance of sporting respect and the mighty distraction from the yoke of being Indians. Then, out of the army barracks of Secunderabad, came a slim Sikh in 1960. Denied by the barest of margins in Rome, late Milkha Singh often spoke of ‘aag’ (fire). In a country struggling with food crisis, with an orphaned childhood behind him, and with a note saying ’46.7 seconds’ placed next to his holy book, Milkha stoked his ‘aag’, every single day for four years from 1956, until he fell short by 0.1 of a second. Enter the new millennium, and there was no falling short in Beijing. The rifle of then 25-year-old Abhinav Bindra answered the timeless taunt — a billion-plus nation, and yet no individual gold medallists — but more importantly, told a nation that it is possible. Possible to not lose your head on the last competition shot and fire a 10.8, to punish yourself in the quest of the unknown, to dream. India’s Olympics journey is also about their incredible women. PT Usha remains the undisputed queen of tracks, but Karnam Malleswari rarely gets the credit she deserves for breaking the glass ceiling in Sydney, opening the doors for the likes of MC Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Sakshi Malik, and PV Sindhu to make the grandest stage their own. Rio 2016 saw the feisty Indian woman claiming the place she so thoroughly deserved. Rani led the hockey team to their first Olympics in 36 years, Sindhu and Sakshi won India their only medals, and Dipa Karmakar ensured Produnova became a relatable term in the Indian lexicon. The women are back again, leading some of our brightest hopes. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, a former world champion and a current world record holder (clean and jerk) is tipped to get a medal on 24 July. Anything less than a podium by Vinesh Phogat will be deemed a shock. By the time you read this, six-time boxing world champion Mary Kom would have succeeded Purma Banerjee (1920), Shiny Wilson (1992), and Anju Bobby George (2004) as only the fourth woman flagbearer from the country. [caption id=“attachment_9830891” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Boxing legend MC Mary Kom and men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh lead Indian contingent in Tokyo. Image: AFP[/caption] The elite Indian athletes are no longer diffident. They are, by and large, not fazed by the occasion, not daunted by the opponent. Bajrang Punia gets a rockstar welcome at the Madison Garden and a standing ovation in Moscow, PV Sindhu, despite her recent struggles, generates awe befitting the world champion, and teenager Saurabh Chaudhary is seen as a cold-blooded embodiment of shooting genius. India have sent a contingent of 127 (including reserves), their largest ever. Five years back, the 117-member contingent, then the highest ever, returned with a grand total of two medals. Largest doesn’t always translate to better, but it does give an indication of progress, besides giving a greater theoretical chance of hitting the jackpot. Either way, country’s finest have made it to the Land of the Rising Sun, and one can count on them to shine. The 1432-day wait has finally ended. World’s best have found a way to celebrate excellence, rather poetically, in a country renowned for its resilience. Set the alarms. Mark the dates. Let the Games begin. Follow Tokyo Olympics 2020 coverage on Firstpost.com