The athletes who missed out on the Olympic dream

If winning an Olympic medal is the toughest thing that a sportsperson can achieve in their life then qualifying for the Olympics should be right up there for a country like India which until a decade ago didn't have a proper ecosystem to develop athletes at the grassroot level. It's already been a week since the Olympics has started but before we talk about the Olympians, let's take a look at the heroes who made a place in our heart even after missing out on qualification.

Tejas Shirse: If there was an award for the most improved athlete of the year then it must go to Tejas who broke the 100m hurdles national record in his pursuit of Olympic glory. His yearning to excel took him to Europe where he produced a series of podium finishes as he collected ranking points which put him within touching distance of his dream. If only he started his season a bit earlier, we could have seen Tejas' penchant for excellence burn brighter on the Olympics stage but if not this one he's surely a prime contender for the one in LA provided he doesn't let up in his efforts

Gulveer Singh: Gulveer broke two national records in 5000 and 10000 meters this season but agonizingly missed out on qualifying for Olympics and this in my personal opinion was due to not getting enough competitions to collect ranking points. If a competition calendar which delineates the Olympic qualification path can be drawn up for athletes like Gulveer (again my apologies if this is already being done) then the athletes would be able to work with their coaching staff and prioritize those competitions which would maximize their qualification chances. But, Olympics or no Olympics, he's already a hero in my mind as he's taken Indian long distance running to heights never seen before. Gulveer's passion for running is infectious and I am sure this is one name we will keep hearing throughout the next Olympics cycle

Nayana James: We see people who take loans to build a house and fund their education but Nayana is one athlete who has taken loans to keep her Olympic qualification dreams come true. In the process she recorded a personal best of 6.67m, defeated the reigning Asian long jump champion from Japan and kept herself in contention until the final qualification tournament in June. Identifying burgeoning athletes like Nayana who are closer to the qualification and allocating funding for them during the critical qualification window should be something that AFI takes up more vigorously in the coming four years. Nayana may never get to compete in Olympics again but she has given us a story of perseverance which deserves to be applauded and shared

Medals and trophies alone cannot be used to judge a sport person's impact. Each of the above athletes has left an indelible impression in my heart with their tenacity and commitment. For their pursuit of sporting excellence and above all their tenacity, I salute them.

Until Next Time,

Your casual sports fan.

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