A Few isolated Islands or an Entire Archipelago of Professional Excellence...

Excellence isn’t achieved without Inspiration...and Perspiration. You’ve got to have both (in that order!). - **George Foreman**

Created by Gemini for me... Do we not see Promise on those faces and Spark in the eyes!..

Avowal: Just taken little liberty of adding these three words (in that order!) to those words of wisdom by a man of great fame - George Foreman. I may have sounded a little ‘bitter & brittle’ while composing this article. Kindly forgive me. The aim was to drive a specific point. Because some media people in some corners speak of India (Bharat) with undue scorn!. And at times it may be needed to call a veritable ‘spade by its name’. This, I feel may be that time!

Prelude

Only two days ago, five young men from across the nation, Bharat that is, have done us all immense proud at the Global Stage by winning Gold Medal in the Physics Olympiad.

That made me not only feel nostalgic, but bitter as well.

Let us see... how... and why?!

Cataclysm: Time Yet to Arrive

Maybe I am using ‘Cataclysm’... an inaccurate ‘term’ to describe the past of India, that is now ‘Bharat’. But I know that I am not quite inaccurate.

World Championships in Athletics in 2012–13 were going on somewhere and my Company’s CMD, a sports enthusiast himself was watching the event on that wide TV in the Office. I happened to be there with him. And quite acerbically he commented looking at me ‘not one from our Country in those competitions’. I, though, an out and out nationalist & sports buff, could say nothing except that ‘our time has yet to arrive, perhaps’.

This Article: Causes & Effects

This article is not about athletes from 1400 million Indians, the history of whom has been ‘bleak’ to say the least. And is still nothing much to write home about. We are yet to produce a ‘Flo Jo’ or a ‘Judi Brown’ (who had reportedly commented upon watching PT Usha in the Final line-up of 400 meter Hurdles alongside her, in 1984 Olympics ‘who is this woman from India? They have no history in sports’).

[embed]PT Usha lost in 1984 Olympics by what Margin - Yahoo Video Search results The search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for. Find the most relevant information, video…in.video.search.yahoo.com

We, including me here watching TV and praying/expecting our Queen to win at least a Bronze had to console our bleeding hearts with a fourth-place finish, having lost that piece of metal by massive 0.01 second. What better could have been expected when all that she could be fed with was ‘rice & curd’, the day before the event!!

This article is also not about India being the largest importer of Military hardware till a few years ago. And that now we have begun to make some of it ourselves. And some of those pieces, having proved their mettle in May-June 2025 in Operation Sindoor, have become the toast of the world, much to the chagrin of major hardware producers!

This article is also not being written by a poor loser.

This article is also not being written by someone sulking over spilt milk.

This article is also not being written by someone who is not very well aware that it takes at least one full generation of humans in case you want to do something worth the while. And yet another generation to become a world beater in your endarvours.

And... Ladies & Gentlemen… this article is also not being written by someone cursing the ill-luck of his motherland which remained under subjugation for over a thousand years. Because we had traitors within.

Few Islands vs An Archipalego

This article is being written by someone who is well aware of this nation having produced few islands of excellence in various fields such as S Ramanujam, GuruDev RabindraNath Tagore and others. But... only here and there. Nothing more than those few...

But... not any further...because... the glut has already begun to engulf everyone and everything!!

Islands are growing in massive numbers. And... everyone is taking careful notice...

This article is being written by someone who is well... in fact very well aware that there are over two dozen CEOs heading those world’s largest and best organisations in their respective businesses... Those, who were born in this very land before crossing over the seven seas and make their indelible mark on the world stage. With the sheer dint of their hard work! Lots of Perspiration...

This article is being written by someone who might not be aware of the intricacies of AI, Data-mining, Data-Science, Coding and what else all those people do by constantly pressing the keys on different kind of delicate machines. But he is well aware what it takes to lead those millions into successful outcomes. As what those two dozen CEOs are ably doing.

And... friends...

This article is definitely being written by someone who is extremely well aware that the next rung leaders across the globe are mostly from his land be it in the fields of Athletics, Archery, Cricket, Seafaring, Spelling bee, Military or High-Tech or FinTech...All...

This article is being written to celebrate Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Bendale, Rishit garg, Shrestha Suraiya, and Svarit Joshi... these five youngsters from every corner of Bharat, who, just a few days ago, beat that same world of Ms Judi Brown and others and have emerged as few of the future world-beaters from Bharat!! And for a change feel very proud of this Achievement of theirs.

World! Please wait in your tracks. These five youngmen and millions of their like are moving fast. In that direction. In every field.

Gods Bless!

Because we are humble people for whom this world is ‘one large family’... since the beginning of this Humanity.

Others might consider us as ‘those Indians’... But...to us you all are... and shall ever remain ‘us & ours’...

NO QED today.