By Irineu Gonsalves.

THE MOTHER of all games, the Olympics, is the arena where the athletes compete with their sweat, blood and guts, to reach the pinnacle of glory that is the crowning moment of any sportsperson’s career. In the midst of an uninspiring Olympics, India had reasons to cheer.  Not just because a little known army man Major Rathore won the first ever silver medal of independent India (Norman Pritchard did win a silver for India during British rule) in the Games but also because of other stirring performances.

However, Karnam Malles-wari, the Sydney bronze medallist and shot-putter Bahadur Singh hopelessly disappointed.  While Malleswari, whose performance at training had put her in the medal bracket, failed to complete her lift in the 63 kg. category.  Bahadur Singh fouled all his three attempts and crashed out.  The challenge in archery, judo, badminton, rowing, have been nearly non-existent.

India’s medal hopes Leander and Bhupathi played well but luck was not on their side.  The Indian hockey team was a victim of bad umpiring decisions. Also the team did not play its usual free-flowing attacking game. The next few days will tell if India can increase its tally or remain content with a lone silver medal.  Meanwhile, here are a few legendary rivalries from the past.

INDIA VS PAKISTAN
SPORTING encounters between the two nations of the subcontinent have inevitably aroused animated attention, and never so much as on the Olympic field.  The hockey sultans, India, were delighted to consolidate their hegemony through the three Olympics after independence.  In ‘48, Pakistan finished fourth and last.  In ‘52, ditto.  But the portents of change were evident at Melbourne in ‘56, when the champions edged out Pakistan.  At Rome, the six-time gold medallists were nosed out by Pakistan.  The defeat struck the tone for all future sporting trysts: every match involved national honour.  At Tokyo, the solitary goal pattern stayed - but India won.  Mexico onwards, India vanished from the Olympic arclights, winning a gold in Moscow against a decapitated competition.  After LA, though, Pakistan remains the defending champions.

USA VS USSR
EVER SINCE the Soviets turned up at Helsinki, the basketball court has became a metaphor for the cold war.  In their first encounter, the US beat the Soviets 36-25.  The outcome at Melbourne, Rome and Tokyo was identical.  At Mexico, the Yugoslavs sank Soviet hopes, but could not counter the American superiority. Munich was what added fire to the rivalry.  The Americans claim they were done in by the referees, a reason the Soviets scoff at.  The result: USA-50, USSR-51.

STEVE OVETT VS SEBASTIAN COE
The two Englishmen were bitter adversaries through the early eighties, trying to dominate the middle-distance races.  When they met in Moscow after two years - they hated running against each other - both had world records to their credit.  The press verdict: Coe would win the 800m, Ovett the 1500m.  In reality, the reverse happened.  Four years later, the contest expanded to include another Briton, Steven Cram.  Ovett was a failure in both events.  Cram won a silver in the 1500m.  But Coe triumphed: a silver in the 800m, a gold and a new Olympic record in the 1500m.

KIP KEINO VS JIM RYUN
THE American Ryun had anawesome reputation.  World title holder in the 800 metres, 1500m and mile.  He hadn’t been beaten in the 1500m for three years.  A Nandi tribesman from Kenya was reckoned his most serious rival:  Keino entered the 1500, 5000 and 10,000m.  The Kenyan collapsed of stomach pain in the 10,000m, but recovered to win a silver in the 5000m.  Caught in a traffic jam, he jogged to the stadium, where he established a large lead, which Ryun, despite his celebrated finishing kick, was unable to catch up with.  Four years later, they met again in Munich.  But Ryun, cast in the same heat as Keino, was knocked out at the first hurdle. 

PIETRO MENNEA
THE ITALIAN is the first runner to qualify for the final of the same event in four consecutive Olympics.  Mennea first earned public notice when he stripped to his briefs before the 200m final-in Munich - he won a bronze.  He wanted to give Montreal a miss, disappointed with his running in the Italian championship.  Public opinion changed his mind and he managed fourth place.  At Moscow, four years later, fortune finally came his way.  Running against the Beast, a Briton Allan Wells was known in Mennea’s home because he beat him in the European championships, the Italian won his first gold.  In LA, still the world record holder, he managed seventh place.  Mennea may never have got his gold had he adhered to his Social Democratic party’s boycott of the Moscow Games.

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