rsg
Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/18/2012 11:25PM Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
I'm a high school senior of East Indian origin. Both my parents were born and raised in India but moved to America in the 80's and then got their american citizenship. i was born here also, so I just have American citizenship. However we all have this thing called Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), which I'm not sure gives me dual citizenship or just a better visa for traveling to India. Since India isn't known for their athletics prowess, is it possible if in 2020 or later olympics if I could compete for India if I obtained the Olympic B Standard?
USOlympicOfficial
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 9:18AM - in reply to rsg Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Yes. Also want you to know that you could potentially compete for the US if you meet the Olympic A or B standards.


Easiest path might be racewalking.
webb wig
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 9:27AM - in reply to rsg Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
you people.. what's with the weak handshake?? man-up.
EvanHager
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 9:31AM - in reply to webb wig Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
There is a beginning for everyone. Please offer nothing but encouragement.
That Dude That Dude
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 9:34AM - in reply to rsg Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Actually, although your chances are slim using this path, you can potentially compete for India without hitting the A or B standard. For this to happen, it must somehow occur that no other Indian male athlete hits the A or B standard in any athletics event. If this happens, there is a good will that the IOC has, whereby if a country has no male athletes that qualified for an athletics (track and field) event, then the country can stick one male athlete in any even they would like. The same rule applies for female athletes as well, hence that Attar girl representing Saudi Arabia in the 800m when she clearly wasn't anywhere near the standard. So if a country has no athletes, male or female that have even hit the A or B standard, they can stick one of each sex in any event they choose. I suppose if you wanted to take this route, you would have to get in the good graces of the Indian Olympic Association. You would of course get smoked in the prelims.
EvanHager
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 9:40AM - in reply to That Dude That Dude Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
How do you know rsg will 'get smoked in the prelims'?
agreed
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 10:50AM - in reply to EvanHager Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Because this was in the theoretical situation where he doesn't even have the "B" standard.
Galloping Gazelle
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 10:54AM - in reply to EvanHager Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Even if he does poorly, he will get to party it up in the village.
LookingForwardtoRio
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 10:59AM - in reply to Galloping Gazelle Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
LoLo or Phelps will probably not be there to party with.
How fun can that be?
EvanHager
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 11:03AM - in reply to agreed Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Ok. But shouldn't we encourage rsg? Negativity can inhibit ambition.
Statto
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 11:35AM - in reply to EvanHager Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
You would qualify with your heritage to be considered to compete for India. While they are not winning medals they are no mugs either. They have an 18 year old currently running about 14:05 for 5k and 17 Juniors from India qualified for the World Juniors.

How old are you? Would you be able to go and compete in their nationals? Or is the question purely hypothetical?
mkgandhi
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 11:54AM - in reply to rsg Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Yes, it is possible. Train hard, my friend.
IndianTrackExpert
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:01PM - in reply to Statto Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Surendra Singh ran 28:02 in 2008. Train hard.
satyamev jayate
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:04PM - in reply to rsg Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Good question. To my surprise, the answer seems to be "no."

You're not the first to have pursued this. For an extensive discussion, showcasing depressingly small-minded Indian bureaucratic thinking, see:
http://indiankanoon.org/doc/1406931/
IndianTrackExpert
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:11PM - in reply to satyamev jayate Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Perhaps small-minded but eager to preserve Indian heritage.
That Dude That Dude
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:18PM - in reply to agreed Reply | Return to Index | Report Post

agreed wrote:

Because this was in the theoretical situation where he doesn't even have the "B" standard.


Exactly. Evan Hager, did you see what happened to Muhammed Muhammed from Somalia in the prelims. Case and point.
That Dude That Dude
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:28PM - in reply to That Dude That Dude Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
Dang. Check these guys out. India has more talent than I thought TBH, at least on the men's side. Country's no slouch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surendra_Singh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raj_Kumar_%28athlete%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivnath_Singh


OP may have his work cut out for him. Seriously though, OP, run hard in college, and see how everything pans out.
satyamev jayate
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:36PM - in reply to That Dude That Dude Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
On a related note, I don't entirely disagree with this opinion about India's Olympic goals, at least as contrasted to the PRC approach:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443324404577595091687114760.html
EvanHager
RE: Could I potentially compete in the olympics for India? 8/19/2012 12:48PM - in reply to That Dude That Dude Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
No, I did not see Muhammed in the prelims.

Whatever it was, was the outcome worse than remaining in Somalia and never training for the Olympics?

Perhaps suffering a fate of dying from thirst, spiked by a tribal spear, or being recruited by Somali pirates to raid oil tankers (some armed with 50 caliber machine guns)?