Geet Sethi, Prakash Padukone and Viswanathan Anand may have mastered their own domains to India’s great pride, but with Rio 2016 looming, they seek to put their collective wits to lifting the country’s stature at the Olympic Games.
As Directors of Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), a non-profit organisation that supports potential Olympic medallists, the three were united on stage in an engaging discussion here on Tuesday evening, when they shed light on their efforts.
“It has been a long journey from 2007, when Gagan Narang was our first athlete,” recalled Sethi, who co-founded OGQ with Padukone.
“We have 70 athletes (46 of them seniors) with us today; hopefully 20-25 of them should qualify for the Rio Olympics.”
Sethi hailed Anand’s contribution. “He may not attend all the board meetings, but Anand has been brilliant,” he said.
“His mind is so sharp. He quickly picks up nuances from other sports — say, boxing — and makes suggestions to the team. His advice on mental training has also been very valuable.”
Mentor’s roleAnand discussed his role as a mentor, and his recent engagement with over a dozen of OGQ’s athletes. “I spoke about the emotional side of it. On the big day, you only get a few seconds to make it work; if it doesn’t work it doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t put in the effort.
“Even the greats sometimes get it right only on the second or third attempt. I spoke of my own experiences.
“If you have a week to think about something, how do you organise your thoughts? If you tell yourself you’ve got to do this right, you won’t. It has to come automatically. I found that when I had a lot of time and I forced myself to work, this effect started. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of life as long as it’s in moderation and you understand that the discipline has to build upwards,” he said.
Viren Rasquinha, former India hockey player and CEO of OGQ, pointed out that four out of six Indian medallists at the 2012 Games were supported by the organisation.
The other two have since begun receiving its help. “My only dream is that all sports federations in the country — including the IOA — will be run like OGQ, where the board takes the decisions and the implementation is left to professional and efficient people. I know that it’s not going to happen in our lifetime,” quipped Padukone.
Also present on the occasion was boxer Sarita Devi, who credited OGQ for helping her recover from the disappointment of the Asian Games and the surgery on her hand that followed.
She later pulled on her gloves to spar, in jest, with the three masters on stage, but it was clear their expertise lay elsewhere.
