The Olympics

Olympics Journey---- A Precursor To The London 2012 Olympic Games

In July 2012 the world’s gaze will fall on London, as the Olympic Games, a festival of tolerance, solidarity, peace and friendship will be hosted by this City for the record third time, since 1896. The earlier two being in 1908 and 1948. The Olympic Games are and will remain a meeting of the world’s youth, where all participants share the same goal and enthusiasm. The Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) protest with the London Organizing Committee of the Olympics and the Paralympics Games (Locog), regarding DOW chemicals; an American Company which bought it from Union Carbide in 2001(the infamous Company involved in the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 in which thousands died and more than half a million continue to suffer from health problems) being a sponsor, did not find favor with Jacques Rogge, President International Olympic Committee (IOC). The matter has now been taken up by the Government of India with the IOC and awaits a response. One wonders what position India will take in the matter, should the IOC not relent. Boycott of the Games should not be an option, since it will adversely impact the morale and spirit of the sportspersons, who have arduously qualified themselves for the Olympics. However, Lord Sebastian Coe the Chairman of Locog, only knows too well that politics inevitably intrudes into Olympics, as he won his Gold medals in the boycotted Games of Moscow and Los Angeles in 1980 and 1984, respectively.   As of now, the Indian athletes who have qualified for the Games are a) archery - 4, b) athletics - 8, c) boxing – 4, d)shooting – 11, e) swimming – 2 and f) field hockey(men) – 16. Some more are likely to make the qualification mark and thus represent the country. In the long history of the Olympic Games, India has won Gold, Silver and five Bronze medals in individual events, respectively. After the ignominy of missing out on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the men’s field hockey team has qualified for the London Games. It remains a personal disappointment for me that Col RVS (Chilly) Rathore, a silver medalist in the Athens Olympics in Double Trap shooting has failed to get a quota place and not qualify.

The modern Olympic Games came into being in 1896 in Athens. This happened at the instance of, exceptional vision and momentous leadership of the founder of the Olympic Movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, of France. The immortal words of Coubertin  “The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part-----” are indeed an inspiration to humanity at large and its youth in particular, which exhort every sportsperson to believe in one’s  self and participate.

The Athens Games opened on 06 April 1896 and closed on 15 April 1896. 245 athletes from fourteen nations participated and the host city was Athens. There were 9 sports disciplines viz athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, weightlifting, wrestling, swimming, tennis and shooting. American athletes dominated the Games and only the British offered resistance. The host country consoled itself by winning the marathon with more than 100,000 spectators lining the 40 – km route. The Olympic stadium was full to bursting capacity as a passionate crowd roared the winner, Spiridon Louis, to victory like a mythical hero. The moment the winner’s approach was announced, the Greek spectators rose to their feet; it was as if an electric current had been passed though them.

On 06 April 1896, James Brendan Connolly of America, became the first Olympic champion since the Armenian boxer Prince Varasdates in AD 396.The first modern Olympics consecrated their first victor when Connolly outdistanced France’s Alexandre Tuffere, in the triple jump with a distance of 13.71 meters. Every winner received a silver medal and an olive branch. Runners-up received a medal alone. Third placed participants were not rewarded.

The Hungarian swimmer Alfred Hajos won the 1200 meters event, in which the competitors were taken out to sea by boat and left to swim back to shore. The custom of lighting the Olympic flame and taking the Olympic oath was not there, as yet. In the 100 meters event Thomas Burke also of America, using a crouch start, considered suspect by the Greek spectators won in a time of 12 secs.

Olympic postal stamps were the first to celebrate sport. In 1895, the stamps helped the Organizing Committee balance its budget and build the final five sites required to host events. Thus, Baron de Coubertn’s attempt to revive the Olympic Games succeeds. Despite modest performances, even by the standards of the time, huge crowds witnessed the historical events.

PS- Matter researched from the Olympic museum of Laussane.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal

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