The solo sportsperson
From the Stands
S R Khelkoodkar
It isn`t easy being a sportsperson in India, especially if you play a solo sport. In a country where team sports like cricket dominate the headlines, you have to do very well indeed in some other sport to be mentioned.
Perhaps the first to do this on a regular basis were Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. In a couple of golden years they won almost everything they played, and you could feel the hype and anticipation that surrounded their matches.
In that case, however, the pairing didn`t work out and they went their separate ways. And the fuss died down too.
In recent years, India has perhaps seen more noteworthy individuals emerge than it has in the past. Last year, Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian to make it to the top tier of motorsport - Formula One, while at the same time Sania Mirza began her rapid climb up the tennis ranking charts.
The timing, perhaps, mattered. 2005 was particularly bad as far as Indian cricket and hockey were concerned.
The media too jumped gleefully onto the bandwagon. Soon we were presented with exhaustive coverage of Karthikeyan`s every turn of the wheel, and Mirza`s every swing of the racquet.
It didn`t stop there, however. In particular, Sania Mirza watched her off-court life becoming news as well. We know all too well the stories about the t-shirt, short skirt, and the interview attitude.
Now we`re into 2006 and its own set of problems. Mirza is expected now to perform every time she steps onto the court and, as many writers are fond of saying, `novelty has given way to expectation`.
In Karthikeyan`s case, on the other hand, things have gone a bit off-plan. The team he raced for last season, Jordan (who have since changed their name to Midlands) have not renewed his contract. Instead, he has been signed by Williams F1 as their second test driver.
A PTI report remains upbeat:
"In essence, the Indian has opted to serve in heaven instead of ruling in hell. He might have got to race on Sundays by staying with a low rung team but the experience and lessons gained by driving an advanced car and working in a professional atmosphere of a proven team is something no money is going to buy."
It is good to see articles like this one that come out in support of these sportspersons. It would have been all-too-easy to write off the move as a sign of failure. As it is, we are subjected often enough to needlessly dramatic headlines such as "Sania crashes out" or "Is this the end for Narain?"
It isn`t easy being an individual in the public eye, and the more the media support they receive the better it is. Better not just for them, but also for others who might otherwise be deterred by the intense scrutiny.
And the scrutiny very easily takes an unpleasant direction. As though Sania Mirza didn`t have enough to deal with, she finds herself faced with yet more needless pressure.
Recently, certain Muslim and Jewish groups have chosen to protest over her choice of doubles partner. According to an article in the Telegraph, ever since Mirza paired up with Israel`s Shahar Peer in Bangkok last October, there has been an outcry from some religious groups.
Mirza herself, as she has done before, has displayed remarkable poise. "You shouldn`t mix sports with anything else," she is reported to have said.
"If I had to follow the stereotype of what a woman athlete should be in India, then I wouldn`t be playing tennis because there aren`t many girls who pick up racquets when they are six."
Well put.
So far the print media, unlike television, has done a reasonable job of staying away from - or at least remaining neutral about - her off-field controversies. Now again it is forced to decide which side to take.
Or, indeed, whether to take a side at all.
I`m sure I`m not alone in hoping that good sense prevails.