Federations continue to hold back Indian sport

Wrestling Federation of India deserves special mention, its top office bearers accused of enabling or ignoring athlete abuse allegations in run-up to Olympics.

The general feeling among Indians either invested or detached from non-cricket sport after every Olympics swings between ohyeah-positivity and simmering gloom. Paris 2024 is most definitely the latter, mostly due to the medal count, which suggests if not a huge dip in performance at least a post-Tokyo standstill.

Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (centre), Sakshi Malik (left) and Bajrang Punia (right) with others during the protest against the WFI at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on January 18, 2023. (Raj K Raj/ HT Photo)

Of the many directions where fingers are pointed, the governments’ schemes, funding and support for elite athletes is now at a level where administrators and coaches grumble that it’s too much and