India at the Olympic Games

We struck Gold, we are improving. Glass Half-Full..
We are hopeless, we should be sweeping corners with a broom like the Roman Legionary Gluteus Maximus. Glass Half-Empty..

Either way, it is high time we spend on improving the standard of our performance at these games. I love cricket, but cricket doesn't do much for national prestige. Moreover, if cricket were allowed in the Olympics, we'd be lucky to get a bronze. One can argue if we really need national prestige manufactured by an international recognition of our sporting ability. This is not a trivial question. This goes back to the question of constructs. It is not any more important for India to win in the Olympics than it is to have Indian MBA students list "Scuba Diving" as a hobby on their resume. It is a matter of wiping away the dust of time from our countenances so that we seem superior. Well not superior, I guess but perhaps contemporary. But contemporary with relation to who? And why? Before I get all bent out of shape after over-analysing, I'd rather stop.

Bottom-line is: At the moment India's best chance at the Olympics is if by some miracle Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps develops a blue tongue...which is unlikely or I am very much mistaken.