The eighteenth Asiad has come to a ceremonious close. China with a population of 1.35 billion, tops the medals tally with a 132 gold. And India with nearly the same population, comes eighth with fifteen gold. Japan with a population a tenth of that of India, occupies the second spot, with 75 gold. The Republic of Korea with a population one twentieth of India comes third, with forty nine gold.
What could be the reason, why India lags so far behind fellow Asian countries, despite Indians having similar, if not better physique than our northern neighbours? To find out, I decide to go into what makes Virat Kohli, the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team, the best batsman in the world today. And I find the answer in a report, in the Deccan Chronicle. Here is what Kohli tells the newspaper:
“………….My breakfast is set. I eat an omelet, three egg whites, one whole egg, spinach with black pepper and cheese, some grilled bacon or smoked salmon with it. I eat papaya or dragon fruit if it is available, watermelon. I eat a decent amount of cheese for good fats. After that, I carry my own butter and I get gluten-free bread from the hotels. So I apply it on that. A nice big pot of green tea with lemon. I drink 3-4 cups of that”.
His main meals during the day also comprise of lean proteins and leafy vegetables, but Kohli also revealed that he increases his intake of red meat when he needs to build muscle.
“When our trainer Mr Basu tells me to put on a bit of muscle, then I increase red meat, otherwise generally for lunch, it is grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, spinach and veggies and for dinner its sea food,………….” Kohli added.
Can you believe that the captain of the Indian cricket team and the best batsman in the world would be derided as “dukhor khavpi” by some, here in Goa?
Then I decide to investigate how Pullela Gopichand Academy can produce so many world class badminton stars (who have catapulted India into the top bracket) where NIS Patiala has miserably failed. And I learn the recipe, from a report by Manne Ratnakar in Amazon Business:
“……….An ardent follower of the Chinese and their training methods Gopi felt that Indian food habits were affecting the performance. Badminton, it seems, is no longer sports for vegetarians ……………. Interestingly Saina Nehwal, R.M.V.Guru Saidutt Parupalli Kashyap, Sai Praneeth, had not eaten meat before joining. But the academy has a comprehensive program on what a shuttler can and cannot eat. The diet is fixed and examined by Gopichand, who at times conducts surprised raids and checks the food that the trainees are eating.
But Gopi was able to convince them and they slowly started eating chicken. It took some time for Saina to be convinced but she too followed suit and the results began to show. “Eating chicken is essential for the good supply of protein content. It also helps in losing weight and ensures essential supply of vitamins and minerals. Red meat also provides iron which helps to maintain the energy levels. It supplied amino acids which repair muscle tears that usually occur during strenuous training” said a member of the coaching staff, adding that many used to hesitate to become non-vegetarian.
Some of the shuttlers were adamant. It required a lot of counselling to convince them but once they started eating many of them loved it. However, the families of many shuttlers were not easily convinced. But the success of Saina and Sindhu on world stage has proved that this little sacrifice in search of excellence was worth making…………” India is the only country in the world where eating (and not giving up) chicken is a sacrifice!
Now, I say to myself, How do the Japanese do it? Here the New York Times provides the answer:
“…….even ignored by many here, is one measurement by which the reputedly diminutive Japanese have been closing the gap impressively with Westerners: height. In 50 years, according to statistics kept by the Ministry of Education, the average height of Japanese 11-year-olds has increased by more than 5 1/2 inches. The height of girls, who grow faster at that age, meanwhile, has increased even more.
……it is widely believed to be caused by improvements in diet and the elimination of once-common infectious diseases, both expressions of Japan’s swift post-war economic rise. According to one recent study, for instance, intake of animal protein has doubled to 60 grams a day since 1960……..”
This phenomenon is humorously referred to as the hamburger height, alluding to the fact, that the Japanese are gaining height, after adopting American food habits.
Does it require further evidence, to know the reason for our poor sports performance? Does the success of Kohli and the badminton stars, not provide the answers for our otherwise persistent failures, on the sports field? Is it not time, the State stops dictating the diet of its citizens? Should the citizens not have the right to choose, between a hamburger and a samosa or eat both? How come India is the only country in the world, to penalize its citizens for eating protein and mineral rich food? Will the parivar, provide an answer?
(Radharao F.Gracias is a senior Trial Court Advocate, a former Independent MLA, a political activist, with a reputation for oratory and interests in history and
ornithology.)
