Battlefields … Brass Tacks … Olympics
- Charu Singh
- Aug 13, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 17, 2021
The military demands unique physical and psychological strengths from its individuals. It encourages physical fitness just as much as spirit and morale. Which is why sports play a very instrumental role for defense forces towards inculcation of their fighting spirit, personality, morale and ultimately the operational effectiveness. Since time immemorial sports have been an invaluable asset in formal military training which molds the values and standards of army. However, that’s not all this is about. The essence of army symbolizes the idea and spirit of nationalism, be it with the enemy at borders or with the competitor in the sports arena.
What is the likeness between sportsmanship and soldier ship if one might ask?
The answer would be that both have discipline as the bedrock. One may be extremely passionate, but in absence of ethos and the discipline, one might qualify but not excel. Army nurtures its soldiers in such a disciplined environment that they already know how to passionately focus themselves to one single cause and transcend at it. This is exactly why our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi stated back in 2013 about the capabilities of the Armed forces stating “our defense personals can alone bring 5 to 6 medals home if they were asked to form a team and do so”. That signifies the bonding between army and sports.
Thus, army has ensured that it provides that best facilities for people willing to channel some of their nationalist enthusiasm and devotion through the means of sports, who are truly passionate, disciplined and talented. Therefore the Indian Army has been continuously serving sports in various disciplines like athletics, shooting, boxing, archery, mountaineering, sailing, and
rowing among the others. Dedicated infrastructure like that of the Army Sports Institute, Pune and facilities there make it easier for army men to get their breeding ground. Job security, promotion, accommodation, and travel, apart from the and honor, are significant factors that have an added attraction to joining the army.
The army has had a tradition of nurturing sports stars, from hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand in whose honor the highest sporting award of India has been named as Major Dhyan Chanda Khel Ratna Award, to subedar Milkha Singh.
As a result,11 out of 69 medals were won by men affliated with the Indian army at the Asian Games of 2018, including gold medals by athlete Neeraj Chopra (Subedar) and boxer Amit Panghal (Junior Commissioned Officer and currently world No.1 in boxing). likewise, the Army launched the Mission Olympics in 2001, a focused bid for medals for which it also launched the ‘Mission Olympic Wing’ program with a view to improving the overall standards of the country’s sportspersons and spot potential medal winners for the Olympics. The mission Olympic wing has 5 nodes: The Army Sport Institute (Pune), Army Marksmanship Unit (Mhow), Army Rowing Node (Pune), Army Yachting Node (Mumbai) and Army Equestrian Node (Meerut).
While army was giving talented sportsmen from within that were
bringing laurels for the nation like Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, silver medallist in men’s double trap shooting in 2004 Olympics in Athens; Havaldar Vijay Kumar, silver medallist in 25 meter rapid fire pistol shooting at London Olympics in 2012- it has also taken talents onboard. Regimental centres, where soldiers are recruited and trained, have a sports quota to bring promising sportspersons onboard.
These sportspersons are then guided towards various army sports nodes set up across the country. Not just that, it encourages people outside the army to participate in sports through provisions such as-
candidates who wish to join the army and are good at any of the following games:
1. Athletics
2. Archery
3. Boxing
4. Wrestling
5. Shooting
6. Golf
7. Judo
8. Gymnastics
and 26 more, can join Indian Army as Havaldar or Naib Subedar directly thus giving them an excellent opportunity to engage in physical training instrumental for both military life and sports.
Although, there is absolutely no doubt that the prodigious javelin thrower would have made it on his own, it’s also true that the backing from the army contributed substantially. The army ensures that its sportsmen are getting unhindered, sufficient training without them requiring to render in the military services. There’re also performance-based promotions like in the case of Neeraj Chopra, he acquired the rank of Naib Subedar, a rank that Junior Commission Officers (JCOs) reach after 20 years of service. He was promoted to Subedar after his Asian Games performance and institutional support for his career. He proved how deserving he is in the Tokyo Olympics by bagging India the first ever gold in athletics in the Olympics and making our chests rise with pride.
The Mission Olympic Wing:
· Neeraj Chopra was selected to be trained under this after getting commissioned in the Army in 2016. Currently 450 senior athletes are getting trained.
· Its an initiative by the army to identify and train promising sportsmen in 11 different disciplines for national and international level events.
· The Army Sports Institute, Pune (ASI) with a state of art infrastructure that is easily comparable to any middle-level international standard and a team of foreign and Indian specialists in sports medicines, physiology, sports psychology, nutrition, etc. the institute to its credit has 703 international medals and 3509 national medals. Moreover, 3 out of the 8 medals won at the Youth Olympics of 2010 were won by the cadets of this institute.
· ASI is training over 200 athletes in 7 disciplines – athletics, archery, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, diving, fencing.
· 100 Shooters are getting trained under Marksmanship Node, 90 in Rowing Node, 50 in Sailing, 10 in Equestrian Node.
Conclusively, it can be said that the very common linkage between Army and Sports is the ‘Discipline’ which is mandatory to keep the passion burning to wave our flag to victory. It would be worthwhile for all agencies training aspirants for excelling in various sports to analyse the very bedrock of Armed forces …. discipline and imbibing it in their culture. If Army can send its jawaans and officers to the tracks, courts, fields in addition to the borders and battle grounds there is surely something special about its culture and ethos. It’s the passion infused with patriotism and discipline which makes a soldier stand out from others …. our India from other countries ….in the forthcoming Olympic 2024. …Paris!
SOME ARMY ACHIEVERS:
Milkha Singh popularly known as “The Flying Sikh” was recruited as a Sepoy in 1951. A track and field sprinter, he was introduced to the sport while serving in the Indian Army. He was the only Indian athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at Commonwealth Games till 2012. He also won gold medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
VSM is one of the greatest middle distance runner (800m) of India. He won Gold medals in 1974 & 78 Asian Games.
Naib Subedar Shivnath Singh of Bihar Regiment was the finest long distance runner India has ever produced. He gave sterling performance at the Teheran Asian Games in 1974 winning gold medal in 5000m with new Asian record of 14m 20.5s. He also won the silver medal in 10000m clocking 30m 49.9s. In the Seoul Asian Championship in 1975 he again won the silver medals in both these events.
Sepoy Basant Bahadur Rana of 3/8 Gurkha Rifels qualified for the Olympics at the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Saransk, Russia in May 2012, with a B qualifying standard.
Subedar Major Vijay Kumar in Pistol Shooting. AVSM, SM won the silver medal in the individual 25 metre rapid fire pistol event at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Gurkha Regiment is a legend.
Honorary Captain Hawa Singh was Heavy weight boxer & National Championship for 11 straight years from 1961 to 1972, winning gold medals at the 1966 Asian Games and the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok. He was awarded the Arjuna Award, India's highest sporting award, in 1966.
Naib Subedar Jitu Rai is winner of Gold Medals at 2014 Asian & Commonwealth Games Subedar Major Vijay Kumar in Pistol Shooting.
Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore AVSM, won silver medal in the double trap event in 2004 Olympic Games. In a career spanning over a decade, he also won multiple medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005.
Comments