Sending Indian athletes is a waste of money and opportunities, thus opined self-appointed “opinion shaper” and “authority on popular culture”, Shobhaa De.
De, whose “opinion shaping” ranges from body shaming Kate Middleton’s curves, or the lack of it, and a whole lot of lousy movie reviews, typically has a fondness for dropping unsound opinions, that ensure her stay in controversies.
Coming to Rio, India certainly has a terrible Olympic record, and why?
Most athletes in India don’t get enough funding for proper training, except for cricketers who get gorged by a flock advertisements and endless funding. Indian Olympic Association itself had confessed that it couldn’t do much for the country’s athletes due to a lack of funds.
Luge athlete Shiva Keshavan had to crowd-fund his ticket to participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Although he’s represented India five times in the Olympics, there was no government intervention to help him out.
Only those who participate in a high-profile sport stand chances of sponsorship. But that is already a well known fact.
And then Shobhaa De enters the picture with her half-informed unproductive critique of expenditure and wasted opportunities.
Certainly, more people flock to fashion (where De comes from) than to sports. As far as Indian education is concerned, sports had always taken a backseat since Indian parents would rather have their children study, than play sports.
On top of that being a sportsperson doesn’t guarantee a steady income, or even a significant income.
But De, as honourable as she is, mints money with her analysis of which body type wears a saree better.
Perhaps De should herself sponsor an athlete to guarantee a gold medal, or is that too unfashionable for an authority on popular culture?
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)