Battling a brutal recession, double digit unemployment, fears about mosquito borne Zika virus, embarrassing infrastructure stumbles and apolitical crisis that led to the impeachment of the President Dolma Rousseff have all but extinguished the euphoria that greeted the vote victory when Rio successfully won the race for the Games in 2009. The 2016 Olympics looks set to be the crowning glory of a dynamic and newly confident Brazil. The 17-day carnival which will begin on Friday (Brazil is 8.30 hours behind India time and it will be Saturday morning at 4.30 AM here.) will have athletes from 206 nations and a refugee team in Brazil to compete in 28 sports and be watched by a global audience of billions. The Refugee Olympic Team will compete under the Olympic Flag and has 10 members – five from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia. The Rio Games will be the first to feature Olympians born since the year 2000 – and the youngest is 13-year-old Nepalese swimmer Gaurika Singh. Rio marks the return of golf and rugby to the Olympics. Golf is returning after a 112-year absence but without more than 20 of its top players. India has a contingent of 118 members the largest ever taking part of which Indian Army is providing the largest representation of athletes from all over the country with Haryana contributing the largest group from north comprising 20 sport persons taking part in games of wrestling, power lifting, hockey, discuss and could be largest participation from the Jat land. For the first time India has a woman representative in International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Nita Ambani of Reliance Group. Besides these some of the medal hopes are Dulee Chand in athletics , Deepa Karmarkar in gymnastics, Dattu Bhokanal in rowing , Deepika Kumari in archery and of course Saina Nehwal in badminton and are the example of individual girth to reach the Olympic heights. In 2012 London Olympics, India returned with two silver and four bronze medals. Can we do better is the question which in coming days would be answered. Till then let the carnival continue.
