When it comes to sports, India is fortunate that its athletes find a way to overcome the impediments that its officialdom throws in their paths—whole areas fraught with politics and unprofessionalism. If India is winning medals at the Asian Games, it has been possible in spite of official bungling, due to athletes’ own talent, resilience and steely determination. The government does provide facilities and exposure, but it’s a mite compared to the odds athletes face.
Many of the stories of the Games medal winners so far, and those who may or may not win, are tales of victories carved through adversity.
Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam
The fields of sports are fertile grounds of love. In Indian archery, rather, in the entire sports fraternity, Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam is perhaps the only ‘brother-sister’ pair that forms a potent team. Delhi boy Verma and Andhra Pradesh’s Jyothi have entirely different backgrounds, but they have been winning medals consistently in the mixed...