We're Proud

I found this post among my Blogger drafts. It was supposed to have been published right after the London Olympics 2012. It is now six months too late. Still, the emotions in this post are not out-dated. If anything, posting this now proves a point or two! Which is why, I have decided to go ahead and publish it nevertheless.

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This post is addressed to each and every person who represented India at the Olympics. To those that won medals. To those that didn't. To those that came tantalisingly close. To those that didn't. To their coaches. Families. Support staff.

We Are Proud.

You carried on your shoulders, the expectations of a billion-plus people. Sometimes reasonable, but mostly unreasonable. For that, we're proud.

You probably knew that you would be under intense media scrutiny. That you would be hailed a hero one moment; and labelled a nothing the very next. Yet, you competed. For that we're proud.

Many of you were aware that the country had never heard of you before the Olympics; and that they'd probably forget you soon after. Yet, you gave your best. For that, we're proud.

Many of you trained under appalling circumstances. Several of you didn't have any support staff to speak of. Few of you didn't even have enough money to buy equipment. Yet, you gave the country a shot at a medal. For that, we're proud.

You didn't excel because of the system, you did in spite of the system. For that, we're proud.

We Are Proud.

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