Thomas Bach, the visit of the IOC president bares Indian sports

Flying kites is a national entertainment. The colourful kites decorate the sky, particularly adding to the charm of the festive atmosphere. The focus even during such an enjoyable exercise, is cutting each other ! There may be enough space in the sky, but the joy is in having a dominant presence.

The idea of hosting the Olympics in 2024 was one such attempt at kite flying. There was so much excitement associated with the visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and his meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it became a foregone conclusion that the discussion between the two leaders would be about India bidding to host the Games.

As the IOC president put it succinctly, the IOA was still ''finding its feet'', after serving the suspension. It had to regain its focus on improving the success of the Indian athletes in the international arena, especially in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. It had to first achieve ''unity in diversity''.

Yet, it was clear that it was not the IOA but the government which was keen to probe the possibilities of making an Olympic bid, from the reports emerging on the subject. Otherwise, it was difficult to explain the reported visit of the secretary of the Union Sports Ministry to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne along with the IOA president to invite Thomas Bach to India.

Even though it was easy to jump to conclusion about the intent of the government, it has to be remembered that Thomas Bach has already met more than 100 heads of State among the 205 member countries of the Olympic Movement, after becoming the IOC president in September 2013.

Maybe, the concerned parties wanted to strengthen the idea that Indian sport was a ''sleeping giant''. And it required the expertise of the IOC to find ways to awaken the sleeping giant. Whatever it may be, the message from the IOC was clear.

In the press conference that he addressed in Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister and before he hurriedly left the country, Thomas Bach did not utter a word about India hosting the Olympics till a question was raised on the subject.

''Of course, we were aware of the speculation. We were surprised for different reasons. It was a little bit too quick for India to have a successful Olympic Games in 2024. We were asking the question. The Prime Minister is sharing the same opinion'', said Bach.

What was clear was that the PM was surely looking to organise the Games but knew that such a venture required the government to be ''well prepared'' and that it was a ''bit difficult'' to propose a successful candidature by September this year.

''We will stay in contact for the future. For 2024, we share the same opinion'', clarified Bach.

What emerged from the dialogue was a tripartite agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the Union Government, the IOA and the IOC for the benefit of Indian sports.

''It was a constructive, good day. It was great to be back, first time as the IOC president. It gave us the opportunity to welcome again IOA, after the suspension ended last year. We had the opportunity to discuss the future of Indian sports that is bright'', said Bach.

First things first. India has to focus on athletes and help them fare better in international events, by providing them the best support in terms of training and coaching. The focus has to be on ensuring their qualification and participation in the Olympics in Rio next year.

''Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement'', reminded Bach.

''One year after suspension, the IOA is still finding their feet. They first need to discuss and find their way for future success and how best to support athletes'', said Bach.

A solid foundation, from the assessment of Bach, was laid to address all the issues.

To move forward, different stakeholders need to recognise their responsibilities and fulfil them. First and foremost, the IOA has to respect its revised Constitution.

''Meeting the Prime Minister was excellent. It gave us an opportunity to express our appreciation of the Prime Minister and the Indian people for the exemplary way in helping Nepal with such a humanitarian spirit. We are full of admiration for the Indian government and the Indian people. IOC will assist Nepal when it comes to rebuilding the sports infrastructure and the Olympic Movement, after this tragedy'', said Bach, as he admired the spontaneous support of India for Nepal after it was ravaged by earthquake.

Coming back to Indian sports, Bach admitted that the Indian Prime Minister was well aware of sports being the key to building a strong society.

''The PM is very much determined to promote sports. He knows the value of sports in education and its role towards a cohesive society. In sport, all are equal. It is a great uniting force. You look for personal achievements by respecting the common rules'', said Bach, even as he talked about ideas of making sports mandatory in the educational system and making physical activity a must for all kids.

''The PM is clear that he would use all his authority and dynamism to wake up the sleeping giant. The IOC will be happy to assist. With a population of 1.2 billion people, and 80 million of them youth, India has a huge potential, in particular in sports. India could be a powerhouse in sports'', he said.

The IOC will assist in terms of coaching, technology for the athletes, and by providing training for administrators and coaches. It will also attempt to support Indian sports through the world wide Olympic television channel that is in the process of being launched.

In theory, there is never any dearth of words to support autonomy of sports.

''The Prime Minister is very much in favour of autonomy. Autonomy not just in sports but in the whole society'', Bach observed.

It may be recalled that it was because of government's intrusion into sports that India was kept out of the Olympic Movement for more than a year.

''The Prime Minister has invited us to have one of our future meetings here in India and to keep bilateral contact with him. We appreciate both invitations. It was a very good day for sports in India. We are looking forward to a strong Olympic team from India in the Olympic Games in Rio'', said Bach.

Moving on, Bach said that good governance and autonomy were two sides of the same coin. He indicated that with the agreement of last year, mutual respect had clearly been achieved, and the Prime Minister had expressed great satisfaction.

''We saw improvement (in the IOA), but need to improve more. There is a new constitution. It has to work. Everybody has to respect. I am very positive. The message got across'', he said.

When asked whether the IOC was aware of the undercurrents in the IOA, and that there was a ''no confidence motion'' brewing right in front of their nose, Bach said that he was not aware of it, but was quick to add that it was ''not new to India''.

''Even without knowing, we were sending the message and the appeal for unity. The motto of my presidential campaign was Unity in Diversity. It fits well with the IOA. Diversity makes India so rich. The IOA, national federations, State Olympic committees, they all need to focus on the athletes, make athletes successful and find unity among yourselves'', he said.

Unfortunately, in Indian sports, the athlete is the last and least in priority, while unity is a distant dream.