Agonies and ecstasies of the Olympians at Tokyo

At a time the world is struggling to get rid of a deadly virus, the Tokyo Olympics is an anachronism. The greatest show on Earth has continued without any let-up so far. Sportsmen and sportswomen have been competing in their respective disciplines with vigour. However, apart from the time they are pitted against each other in the swimming or diving pools, badminton, volleyball or tennis courts, football or hockey fields, shooting arenas and other stadiums of track and field or in open racing on roads or sailing in the river, they have to wear masks. Immediately after completion of their rounds ---no matter if they win or lose ---they take this basic protective measure against coronavirus. On the victory stand also they have their facemasks on. No Olympics in its history has seen anything of this order. Only once do they take off the masks to show their shining faces on the podium for the sake of photo shoot.
Indeed, unlike the earlier Olympics when iconic athletes like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Sergei Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci held the spectators either in the stadiums or on the TV screen mesmerized, this Olympics hardly boasts such stalwarts. Well, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is still there and two other big names Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka, both of whom are professional tennis players, wanted to add the Olympic gold to their rich collection of trophies. In fact, Djokovic targeted a feat no tennis player ever has achieved. It was four grand slam titles and the Olympic gold in the same year. He has already captured three grand slams and is eying the US Open at the Flushing Meadows ---the only remaining slam to be played next. Unfortunately, Osaka lost in an earlier round and Djokovic's run came to an end on Friday at the last but one stage. His loss to Zverev in the semi-final has smashed his dream of a Golden slam (four grand slams and Olympics).
Then Simone Biles' withdrawal on psychological reasons from artistic gymnastic competition came as a shock. With a total of 30 Olympic and World championship medals, she is the most decorated US gymnast and she has missed addition of further titles to her tally. One of the greatest gymnasts of all time, she has made the competition poorer by her withdrawal. She, however, stayed with the team to cheer up other members and her teammates won gold in the all-round competition perhaps in her honour.
Indeed, agony and ecstasy are what make sports and games so thrilling and captivating, so shattering of dreams or joyous and fulfilling. In a way sports are a reflection of human life with sadness and happiness cohabiting side by side. If failure makes one sad and disappointed, success lights up faces with a glow of unworldly happiness. It is too early to say if the Tokyo Olympics will see world or Olympic records getting smashed. Already, two world records have been set in swimming. Records and record holders fall wayside with the young athletes taking the batons. The win of the skateboarding gold by a 13-year-old Japanese girl is just one side of the happy tale, there is also the rejoicing story of a 57-year-old Kuwaiti's win of a bronze medal for skeet shooting for his country. It is his second Olympic medal but the first one he won as an individual athlete when the Olympic Committee slapped a ban on Kuwait.
Now Russia is suffering the same fate and Russian athletes are competing under the banner of Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Don't sportspersons get inspired by their respective national feeling? There are athletes of different national origins who play for their adopted countries. It is no problem for them to excel. But maybe, somewhere the people of the country from which they migrated or the athletes themselves feel a twang in their stomachs. Sportspersons carry the national banner and the countries like those in South Asia have rare, if any, moments to celebrate in international competitions like World Championships or Olympics. Sports-lovers cannot help grieving the absence of their heroes on victory podiums.
Athletes of the highest calibre do not necessarily come from the richest countries only. Jamaica is one shining example. It has produced greatest ever runners like Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser. Sports and games, except cricket, hardly receive the attention they deserve in this part of the world. Achievements on the world stage can change the image of a country for ever. Diego Maradona has held high the image of Argentina and made it popular worldwide. Cricket cannot be the only game for Bangladesh to do its branding.