Despite no Indian managing to win a gold medal at the London Olympics, the fact that six athletes achieved a podium finish on the highest international sporting stage, shows that India has much more than just a spark of sporting ability.

Gagan Narang (10m air rifle; bronze), Vijay Kumar (25m rapid fire pistol; silver), Saina Nehwal (badminton singles; bronze), MC Mary Kom (51 kg women's boxing; bronze), Yogeshwar Dutt (60 kg freestyle wrestling; bronze) and Sushil Kumar (66kg freestyle wrestling; silver) have proved that there is immense sporting potential in the country in spite of the fact that nearly 30 per cent of the 1.2 billion-plus population still live below the poverty line. Sport can never be priority in a country plagued by more serious issues like illiteracy, poverty and a seriously inadequate social and physical infrastructure. But then, sport is a great healer.