India has dominated the medals tally at the South Asian Games in Guwahati, but that isn’t really newsworthy, is it? India has always been the sporting powerhouse in South Asia and therein lies the reason behind some people wanting India to pull out of future Games – because it is just too ‘easy’. I understand the rationale but if one looks a bit deeper, it might present a slightly different picture.

Athletes Need The Competition

For starters, not all sports are like Indian Cricket, with the team playing a match almost every other day. There are many sports which get a taste of competitive action once or twice a year. I can vouch for the fact that competitive matches are just as important for an athlete’s preparation as all the training one does in the background. No amount of practice games, runs or lifts can replicate a competition.

Match sharpness is very important at the top level and it is one of the main reasons I played the Games this year.

Olympic medallist Gagan Narang is a good example. I’m sure he’s been working really hard in preparation for the Rio Olympics later this year. However, he couldn’t produce his best scores in the individual event in Guwahati and had to settle for Bronze. I doubt he considers that a disaster, and nor should he. It gives him a good assessment of where he stands in his preparation and what he needs to work on in the next few months to be in the best possible shape in Rio. I’m sure this will hold him in good stead for when he really needs it.