New Delhi:
Cricket is a national obsession in India. Its stars dominate the headlines and devour almost all the sponsorship deals. Aspiring Olympians can find financial support harder to come by.
Historically, the government offered little help, and corporations were reluctant to sponsor those who competed in obscure sports. This reality led many athletes to a surprising destination: jobs with the Indian railway.
"The railway, police and military are the big three groups that provide some sort of support system and security for an athlete," said Hakimuddin S. Habibulla, a co-founder of GoSports, a sports management and consultancy company based in Bangalore. "If you are part of one of these public-sector companies, there is the opportunity of getting promotions and getting a basic bonus. But if you're not part of any of these institutions, it's much more difficult."
Life is easier on the inside because the railway and other departments of India's sprawling bureaucracy compete for national championships in dozens of sports. Much like American college teams, they recruit to find the best athletes to fill jobs set aside for athletes.
Shiva Keshavan, a three-time Olympian who will compete in luge at the Vancouver Games beginning Friday, was never able to pursue his sport full time. After the 2006 Turin Games, where he finished 25th, he ran out of money and did not compete for nearly two years.
"I applied to public companies for this kind of honorary job, but winter sports are still far behind," Keshavan said. "Sometimes they say they don't even recognize winter sports."
At the railway, athletes often become ticket collectors because they can work day or night, affording them time to train. It also allows them to travel for free around the country. They receive light workloads, shorter hours and perks like coaching and training facilities. But athletic performance is closely monitored; if someone does not measure up, a part-time desk job can quickly become full time.
The work can be unglamorous. Suma Shirur, an Olympic shooter from Mumbai who was recruited for the railway's team, was given a basic data-entry position.
"It wasn't easy to go to the office and stay there for two hours because it was so mundane," said Shirur, who graduated from college with a degree in chemistry. "But I always thought, OK, this is for my shooting. And I had my goals, so I always had it in mind that I'm only here for my paycheck."
The salary was helpful for Shirur, who had a supportive family to fall back on, but for others it is essential.
"Most athletes come from lower, middle-class families," said G.S. Mander, a vice president of the Indian Olympic Association. "A job is very important, and the railway is the largest employer of athletes."
A steady paycheck is not their only incentive. Successful Indian athletes rarely return home to endorsement deals. Instead, for medals won and records broken at international competitions, they are rewarded with bonuses and promotions.
Shirur has maneuvered her way up the hierarchy from clerk to chief office superintendent. And when Sushil Kumar returned from the 2008 Beijing Games with a bronze medal in wrestling, he received a $50,000 bonus from the railway.
But the Winter Olympic sports remain a tougher sell even to the absorptive Indian bureaucracy.
After becoming the youngest luge participant ever as a 16-year-old at the 1998 Nagano Games in Japan, Keshavan returned home to the Himalayas and went to work waiting tables. When his sled broke down, he repaired it. If he was injured in a competition, opposing teams would let him consult their trainers.
But in 2008, after pitching himself to companies home and abroad, Swiss Air offered to cover Keshavan's travel expenses. Limca, a soft drink company, also chipped in.
Keshavan was able to train and compete for a full season, and it paid off in a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. Last year, the Ministry of Sport provided $20,000 to finance his training and hired a full-time coach.
But Keshavan still works in the off-season, he said, because he cannot make a living competing in luge. He would like to continue after the Vancouver Games and take another shot as a full-time athlete to see if he can bring home an Olympic medal.
India's appetite for Olympic success - summer and winter - is growing, as is the country's commitment. When the steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal took his family to the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, they sought Indian athletes to cheer. Distressed by the small number, he donated $10 million to establish the Mittal Champions Trust to kick-start Olympic progress by providing top-notch facilities and coaching.
"Initially, many years ago, India lacked the funds and we couldn't get the exposure that we needed," said Manisha Malhotra, who runs the trust's day-to-day operations. "But over the years that has changed."
In 2008, Abhinav Bindra captured India's first individual Olympic gold medal, in the 10-meter air rifle event. The victory stoked a sense of national pride, raised expectations and got the government's attention.
"Government support improved because in Beijing, we won medals," Mander said. "There's been much done in terms of training and hiring support staff in the last two or three years."
Financial incentives are also on the rise. Bindra received an estimated $500,000 from a dozen different state and national government bodies, and a free lifetime railway pass.
Although India has begun rewarding champions, fame and fortune have not trickled down to the world-class athletes who end up as Olympic also-rans, like Shirur.
She was proud of her performance in the women's air rifle event at the Athens Games.
"I finished eighth, and I was happy just to be in the finals, but in India it didn't make a difference," said Shirur, who spent $10,000 to compete. "Unfortunately in India, only a medal matters - nothing else."
Despite India's recent Olympic improvement, corporate sponsors still look to cricket for athlete endorsements.
"India in many ways is just coming out of the dark ages when it comes to sports," Habibulla of GoSports said. "It's only now that India's economy has begun looking at sports as an investment."
That means institutions like the railway will continue to be a significant contributor to the development of athletes, Mander said.
"If you get medals, the government gives you an award, but the most important thing is the job," he said. "It gives security, it gives flexibility. You're looked after by the government and the organization."
Historically, the government offered little help, and corporations were reluctant to sponsor those who competed in obscure sports. This reality led many athletes to a surprising destination: jobs with the Indian railway.
"The railway, police and military are the big three groups that provide some sort of support system and security for an athlete," said Hakimuddin S. Habibulla, a co-founder of GoSports, a sports management and consultancy company based in Bangalore. "If you are part of one of these public-sector companies, there is the opportunity of getting promotions and getting a basic bonus. But if you're not part of any of these institutions, it's much more difficult."
Life is easier on the inside because the railway and other departments of India's sprawling bureaucracy compete for national championships in dozens of sports. Much like American college teams, they recruit to find the best athletes to fill jobs set aside for athletes.
Shiva Keshavan, a three-time Olympian who will compete in luge at the Vancouver Games beginning Friday, was never able to pursue his sport full time. After the 2006 Turin Games, where he finished 25th, he ran out of money and did not compete for nearly two years.
"I applied to public companies for this kind of honorary job, but winter sports are still far behind," Keshavan said. "Sometimes they say they don't even recognize winter sports."
At the railway, athletes often become ticket collectors because they can work day or night, affording them time to train. It also allows them to travel for free around the country. They receive light workloads, shorter hours and perks like coaching and training facilities. But athletic performance is closely monitored; if someone does not measure up, a part-time desk job can quickly become full time.
The work can be unglamorous. Suma Shirur, an Olympic shooter from Mumbai who was recruited for the railway's team, was given a basic data-entry position.
"It wasn't easy to go to the office and stay there for two hours because it was so mundane," said Shirur, who graduated from college with a degree in chemistry. "But I always thought, OK, this is for my shooting. And I had my goals, so I always had it in mind that I'm only here for my paycheck."
The salary was helpful for Shirur, who had a supportive family to fall back on, but for others it is essential.
"Most athletes come from lower, middle-class families," said G.S. Mander, a vice president of the Indian Olympic Association. "A job is very important, and the railway is the largest employer of athletes."
A steady paycheck is not their only incentive. Successful Indian athletes rarely return home to endorsement deals. Instead, for medals won and records broken at international competitions, they are rewarded with bonuses and promotions.
Shirur has maneuvered her way up the hierarchy from clerk to chief office superintendent. And when Sushil Kumar returned from the 2008 Beijing Games with a bronze medal in wrestling, he received a $50,000 bonus from the railway.
But the Winter Olympic sports remain a tougher sell even to the absorptive Indian bureaucracy.
After becoming the youngest luge participant ever as a 16-year-old at the 1998 Nagano Games in Japan, Keshavan returned home to the Himalayas and went to work waiting tables. When his sled broke down, he repaired it. If he was injured in a competition, opposing teams would let him consult their trainers.
But in 2008, after pitching himself to companies home and abroad, Swiss Air offered to cover Keshavan's travel expenses. Limca, a soft drink company, also chipped in.
Keshavan was able to train and compete for a full season, and it paid off in a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. Last year, the Ministry of Sport provided $20,000 to finance his training and hired a full-time coach.
But Keshavan still works in the off-season, he said, because he cannot make a living competing in luge. He would like to continue after the Vancouver Games and take another shot as a full-time athlete to see if he can bring home an Olympic medal.
India's appetite for Olympic success - summer and winter - is growing, as is the country's commitment. When the steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal took his family to the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, they sought Indian athletes to cheer. Distressed by the small number, he donated $10 million to establish the Mittal Champions Trust to kick-start Olympic progress by providing top-notch facilities and coaching.
"Initially, many years ago, India lacked the funds and we couldn't get the exposure that we needed," said Manisha Malhotra, who runs the trust's day-to-day operations. "But over the years that has changed."
In 2008, Abhinav Bindra captured India's first individual Olympic gold medal, in the 10-meter air rifle event. The victory stoked a sense of national pride, raised expectations and got the government's attention.
"Government support improved because in Beijing, we won medals," Mander said. "There's been much done in terms of training and hiring support staff in the last two or three years."
Financial incentives are also on the rise. Bindra received an estimated $500,000 from a dozen different state and national government bodies, and a free lifetime railway pass.
Although India has begun rewarding champions, fame and fortune have not trickled down to the world-class athletes who end up as Olympic also-rans, like Shirur.
She was proud of her performance in the women's air rifle event at the Athens Games.
"I finished eighth, and I was happy just to be in the finals, but in India it didn't make a difference," said Shirur, who spent $10,000 to compete. "Unfortunately in India, only a medal matters - nothing else."
Despite India's recent Olympic improvement, corporate sponsors still look to cricket for athlete endorsements.
"India in many ways is just coming out of the dark ages when it comes to sports," Habibulla of GoSports said. "It's only now that India's economy has begun looking at sports as an investment."
That means institutions like the railway will continue to be a significant contributor to the development of athletes, Mander said.
"If you get medals, the government gives you an award, but the most important thing is the job," he said. "It gives security, it gives flexibility. You're looked after by the government and the organization."
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