All that glitters is bronze

It's not all about talent always. Sometimes being cool helps.

About 14 months after India’s best Olympic showing in Beijing, Vijender Singh’s bronze medal is proving to have more glitter than Abhinav Bindra’s gold. Singh has signed a deal with Percept that will make him rich, very rich. He is doing a reality show, and appears ready to act in a film. In contrast, Bindra is not making much headway in the endorsement sweepstakes despite some promising starts soon after the medal.

Singh’s case has been bolstered by the bronze he won last month at the World Boxing Championship in Milan — the first Indian to do so — and the world number one ranking in his weight category. But, more than that, he is evidence that all sports, though they exist to extend man’s physical limitations, leave room for other considerations.

It always helps to be a good sportsperson or athlete, but no amount of training can make up for natural good looks. If you don’t have that, the way to go is to cultivate an image that is cool and fires the imagination of the youth and advertisers.

That is why Tiger Woods is such a success. He has married sporting excellence with a clean-cut, good-boy image. His rise coincided with the ascendancy of political correctness. He was lapped up by all those who wanted to be seen as promoting men of colour and who, in Woods, found a man of colour who largely met the White criteria of good looks.

This picture is even more stark back home. Zaheer and Yuvraj were quick off the endorsement block. Yuvraj, especially, has retained currency despite his failure to establish himself in the Test team. In contrast, Anil Kumble, who has won more matches for India than any other player, did not win many endorsement deals.

Someone, maybe someone from a sports management firm, needs to tell Bindra that cultivating a shy image, and calling yourself a loser who has done nothing in life other than to shoot at targets, is worse than shooting yourself in the foot. As it is, his is not a sport that will enthrall spectators. It isn’t much fun watching a man shoot at inanimate targets, where the most dramatic movement is the finger pulling the trigger. Boxing has spawned five Rocky movies, a Raging Bull, a Cinderella Man and sundry others. How many has shooting done?

Singh has done a glamorous photo shoot for Maxim magazine. He walks ramps and makes frequent appearances on television. He shows poise before the camera and comes up with one-liners which, though not witty, would still be ahead of Bindra’s smile.

Singh also has looks that may appeal to many women. And to some men too. But Bindra can take heart. Deft management can surmount natural limitations. The biggest deal by an Indian sportsperson remains Sachin Tendulkar’s Rs 100 crore handshake with WorldTel.