Every time a multi-sport event is held, there is a lot of interest in sports like weightlifting, hockey, boxing, wrestling, javelin, badminton and shooting. Consider the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was encouraging to witness how the Indian people supported the delegation as a whole. Unfortunately, once the event is over, that same excitement fades instantly. So much so that interest in what athletes do in between is virtually non-existent. But not so with cricket and its stars. Indian cricketers don't need to be in the World Cup or the WTC final to be noticed. There is a year-round fan base. Sure, it goes up during big series or ICC tournaments, but unlike other sports, it never goes down. Three of India's top sportsmen, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, shooter Manu Bhaker and cricketer Virat Kohli, have been the subject of HT's Google search comparison over the previous five years. Four conclusions can be drawn from this data: - Kohli consistently occupies the minds of the fans. It takes an incredible feat for a non-cricketer in India to hold that position. Most of the attention right now is on Neeraj Chopra for his gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Apart from the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Bhaker and Chopra don't really care. In India, they don't compete with prize money and big crowds. In other words, their sports require additional help and guidance in order to grow and expand the pool of incoming athletes. Perhaps they also realise that the level of attention that Manu Bhaker and Aman Sehrawat have received over the past month will not be repeated until the next major multi-sport tournament. Moreover, it indirectly contributes to the broader growth of India as a sporting nation.

In Paris 2024, India was set to record the most medals won at the Olympics. He ended up winning six medals, one less than his biggest result from Tokyo 2020. India also had six fourth-place results in Paris, along with a disqualification that resulted in the loss of a medal and stories of what could have been told instead. How can we ensure more medals in the Olympics? On many different levels, the answer is yes. From strengthening the transition to competitive play to sharpening support for the pursuit of medals at the highest levels, sports participation is expanding and deepening at the grassroots level