these lie with the bureuacracy and administration.
I think the biggest problem Indian sportsmen face in the lack of killer instinct like was mentioned - basically choking when the stakes our high. Our cricket team ofcourse is a case in point. We are serious medal contenders in atleast 10 events and yet we predict 1 medal since we have no confidence in our athletes' abilities to shine when in the spotlight.
The biggest embarrasment is however athletics. There are so many medals to be won and we don't have a single athlete with a real chance at a medal. I was however outraged at your not-so-oblique reference to Anju Bobby George. Remember that being 7th best out of 7 billion people means your pretty damn good and respect her for that. She is the only athelete who can possibly make it to the finals and the only one who has a chance, bleak perhaps but a chance none the less in athletics. I think she deserves better.
My biggest disappointment however is in Tennis. We should have easily won or atleast placed in the mens doubles in the last 2 olympics (we were sadly 4th last time). Thanks to the personal ego issues in the great lee-hesh combine, even an eternal optimist like me has to predict an early exit. We actually have fairly good tennis talent but due to these side issues, the talent is wasted.
On the whole, I don't think its worth taking such an overly pessimistic view - think happy thoughts, the greatest event in the world is here! We do have athletes who on their day ar
