Vaulting over deficiencies: Indian gymnastics can take cue from badminton

It is not surprising that few had heard of Aruna Budda Reddy till only a few days ago. A 14th-place finish in the qualifying event for the vault at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a ninth-place finish at the Asian Games in Incheon later that year obviously inspired little confidence. But a bronze medal at the Gymnastics World Cup, which Reddy clinched in the vault in Melbourne last week, merits enormous praise. Reddy is only the third Indian to finish on the podium at an international gymnastics event, the other two being Ashish Kumar and Dipa Karmakar, who won bronze at the 2010 and 2014 editions of the Commonwealth Games, respectively. That this performance has come in a typically “non-Indian” sport such as gymnastics makes Reddy’s achievement all the more remarkable.

Amid the din of this euphoric victory, however, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Gymnastics in India, despite Karmakar’s sparkling show at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics — she narrowly missed out on a medal in the vault — continues to languish in relative obscurity. To their massive credit, both Karmakar and Reddy have literally vaulted their way to becoming world-class gymnasts with little funding, equipment, or direction — three prerequisites that are otherwise deemed essential to success in a complex and exacting discipline like gymnastics.

Infrastructure remains a vital concern. A new modern training facility has come up in Agartala, often dubbed India’s gymnastics capital, following Karmakar’s Rio exploits, but other parts of the country have not been so fortunate. And while state governments and associations are already exhibiting a frantic rush to shower Reddy with cash prizes, investment in gymnastics continues to be too scarce for a country that aspires to position itself as a global sporting superpower in the coming decade.

The culture of identifying gifted athletes and forming talent pools, which is pivotal given the short careers of gymnasts, is almost absent, and able coaches are impossible to find. In fact, a lot of the success of Reddy and Karmakar must be attributed to their coach, Bishweshwar Nandi, who has been toiling away tirelessly with meagre resources at his disposal for a number of years now. More damningly, the national governing body for gymnastics has done little to promote the sport. Warring factions and their squabbling have taken precedence over the development of talent.

Cricket, on the other hand, due to its vast popularity and the national team’s regular successes, continues to be the most dominant sport, attracting most of the private investment and government spending. Moreover, India’s interminable fixation with cricket often denies the country the chance to fully celebrate and honour the accomplishments of exceptional athletes such as Reddy.

More international wins in gymnastics can change all that — at least in the short-term. While attaining stupendous Olympic success is perhaps an unreasonable expectation at the moment, leading Indian gymnasts will do well to start small, by focusing on continental tourneys and other international competitions. The Commonwealth Games in April, for example, present a marvellous opportunity for Reddy to test herself against formidable opponents from England, Australia and Canada; a medal at the Gold Coast will be the ideal preparation for the World Championships at the end of the year. Ditto for Kumar, who has failed to kick on after his historic showing at the Delhi Commonwealth Games eight years ago. Any podium finish at the Asian Games, also to be held later this year, in Jakarta and Palembang, will be even more impressive.

In some ways, gymnastics can perhaps take a cue from badminton, another individual sport where India has excelled of late. With three or four genuinely world-class players, badminton has established itself as India’s boom sport, inviting investment and talent in plenty. Now if only Reddy and Karmakar can provide a similar springboard!