We have it all, just nurture it

This great nation of ours has taught the world many things. From philosophy to spirituality, we have given mankind pathways to connect with inner self, lead a far more meaningful life. Our cuisine is unparalleled in its diversity and richness of taste. Our geographical spread and varied terrain allows for a bone-chilling winter and scorching heat, all at the same time. For a country as ancient and culturally evolved as ours, isn’t it perplexing that we are far too often found wanting in sporting excellence?

The lack of significant and consistent success on the global stage has spun many myths about India. In my first column for Firstpost, I shall look to dispel these as I find them just convenient excuses trotted out by those who don’t understand this country and certainly don’t understand what it takes to make champions.

The one I find most galling is the notion that we just don’t have the kind of genes that, say, the Europeans do. Those who believe this just don’t know the history of India. This land has seen countless invasions. It has been the staging ground for many an empire that rose and turned to dust. All these invaders made this bountiful land their home, few chose to go back. Their genes still flow through the lifeblood of this nation. India has one of the richest gene pools in the world, it’s a different matter that we don’t have the right systems to identify the kind that make for success in sport.

The other much bandied about myth is that we don’t have the killer instinct to finish off matches. We seem to have forgotten the martial tradition of this land. We actually had specific communities devoted to just being great warriors, being protectors of the weak.

I usually laugh when people allude to the misconception that South Indians are mellower than people from up North. Remember the Cholas? They conquered as far as Java and Sumatra with a naval fleet that established their hegemony over large parts of South Asia. Then, let’s not forget the ancient martial arts tradition of Kalaripayattu that still carries on in Kerala.

The silly idea that Indian diet doesn’t lend itself to world sporting dominance also needs to be busted. Taken as a whole, Indian cuisine uses herbs and spices that the West is still to figure out.

Their medicinal attributes and the layers of taste they impart not only make our food extremely tasty but also exceptionally nutritious. I find it funny when trainers from abroad come here and ask players to eat pasta for carbs! I believe our Himalayan and Kerala red rice, black rice from the beautiful hills of the Northeast and our spread of millets may be far more apt and fitting. The wealth of our food and fecund nature of our land allows for the formulation of just about any nutrition plan for any kind of sport. All we need is the necessary research that picks and chooses from the varied plates that feed homes spread across the land.

India’s special geographic position and the varied nature of climate actually make it one of the best countries for training across the year. The necessary infrastructure won’t cost a bomb, all we need is the vision to tap our diversity.

Then, even as new fads of training emerge and fade with each decade, we have had Yoga for eons. It stays one of the most proven and refined systems of exercise fine-tuned over centuries. Not only does it lead to physical wellbeing but the regime has managed to tap the very power of breath to enhance a being through pranayam.

The argument that I am shaping is that India is in no way deficient when it comes to having the right ingredients for shaping world champions. I believe that the epitome of human sporting excellence will actually be achieved through the marriage of our nation’s strengths with the scientific training methods of the West. However, we must not ape them in toto. We must adapt and personalise their methods to our needs and climate. Where we lack, as of now, is the know-how at the grassroots. By the time our athletes reach the global stage, they haven’t always been groomed scientifically enough to take on the best.

I have a wealth of sports science knowledge gleaned from decades of competing at the highest level in a global sport. I feel this must be shared so that my countrymen can learn from it. As I look to wind down my sporting career, my focus is shifting to grooming the next generation of world-beaters from India. In the coming months, I will talk about what separates champions from the chaff; the intricacies of building and maintaining world-class fitness; about longevity of physical prowess and the little bits that add up to ensure the 1% edge that makes for a world-beater instead of an also-ran.

Till then chew on this: India is in no way deficient, all we need are the right people and the right systems.