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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Unsung Champions

The Commonwealth Games have once again reminded India of a sporting truth that is too often forgotten amid the deafening roar of cricket stadiums, billion-dollar leagues and celebrity endorsements. The greatest sporting stories of at the CWG have emerged from dusty fields, improvised training grounds and lives shaped by extraordinary adversity. India’s athletes in Glasgow have rewritten the meaning of sporting triumph. The story of Sharmila Dhankar is nothing short of extraordinary. Struck by...

Unsung Champions

The Commonwealth Games have once again reminded India of a sporting truth that is too often forgotten amid the deafening roar of cricket stadiums, billion-dollar leagues and celebrity endorsements. The greatest sporting stories of at the CWG have emerged from dusty fields, improvised training grounds and lives shaped by extraordinary adversity. India’s athletes in Glasgow have rewritten the meaning of sporting triumph. The story of Sharmila Dhankar is nothing short of extraordinary. Struck by polio at the age of two, having endured the trauma of an abusive marriage, she could have been reduced to a statistic in a country where disability and social barriers often combine to crush ambition. Instead, the 40-year-old from Haryana transformed pain into power, producing a season’s best throw of 9.81 metres to become India’s first para-athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. Her victory in the women’s shot put F57 event was a declaration of human resilience. Sharmila’s journey, from physical disability and personal hardship to the top step of a global podium, captures the very essence of sport. Her compatriot Shilpa Shyla’s bronze medal in the same event added another chapter to this inspiring tale. Together, the two Indian women demonstrated that determination can overcome disadvantages that would have stopped many others. Sarvesh Kushare, who won a historic silver in the men’s high jump, comes from a farming family in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. His early training ground was not a sophisticated sports facility but makeshift pits created from agricultural waste by his father. Gulveer Singh’s magnificent silver in the men’s 10,000 metres - India’s first-ever medal in the event at the Commonwealth Games - was another reminder that Indian endurance athletes, often overlooked in a cricket-obsessed sporting ecosystem, possess the talent and tenacity to compete with the best in the world. These athletes represent a different India that battles scarcity, limited facilities and social constraints before it battles opponents on the track or field. Their medals are not products of privilege but triumphs of persistence. For decades, cricket has deservedly enjoyed its place as India’s most popular sport. But the imbalance in attention, resources and public imagination cannot continue indefinitely. A nation of 1.4 billion people cannot measure its sporting identity through one game alone. The Commonwealth Games have shown India a mirror that reflects not just medals, but the immense human potential waiting beyond the spotlight. The achievements in Glasgow should become a turning point. India must invest more deeply in athletics, para-sports and Olympic disciplines, not merely when medals arrive but when dreams begin. Because every Sharmila Dhankar, Sarvesh Kushare and Gulveer Singh represents the extraordinary sporting potential of India waiting to be unleashed.

Vighnas in Your Financial Plan

Every year, when Ganpati Bappa arrives in our homes, we welcome him as the Vighnaharta - the remover of obstacles. We pray for wisdom, prosperity, and strength to overcome difficulties. This spiritual message can also guide us in our financial lives.


A strong financial plan is not only about earning and investing. It is equally about identifying and removing the obstacles that silently derail progress.


Debt - The Heaviest Obstacle

The most common financial vighna is debt. Credit card dues and high interest loans quietly eat into income. Every EMI reduces the money available for investments. Like carrying excess baggage on a journey, debt slows down wealth creation. Bappa reminds us that discipline and prioritisation are key - start by repaying high interest loans first, and gradually free yourself from the burden. The lighter you travel, the faster you progress. This point does not apply to home loans.


Lack of Insurance - A Silent Risk

Life is unpredictable. A sudden medical emergency or an untimely death can wipe out years of careful savings. Yet many people ignore insurance, considering it an unnecessary cost. In reality, insurance is a safety net - Ganpati’s protective hand over your family. Adequate term insurance secures your dependents’ future, while health insurance prevents medical bills from derailing financial stability. Protection is not optional. It is the foundation of prosperity.


Absence of an Emergency Fund

Without an emergency fund, even small shocks - a job loss, home repair, or sudden medical bill - can push families into debt. Building a reserve of 6 to 12 months of essential expenses ensures stability when storms arrive.


No Clarity of Goals

Ganesh Utsav is celebrated with devotion, discipline, and purpose. Similarly, money without goals is directionless. A financial plan must be tied to specific outcomes: buying a home, a car, vacations, educating children, their marriage, your retirement, or wealth creation. Written goals bring clarity, discipline, and motivation. Without them, investors drift, and small distractions become large vighnas.


Chasing Quick Returns

Ganpati is offered Modaks, which symbolise the sweet rewards of devotion and patience. In finance too, Modaks come to those who wait. Chasing stock tips or get-rich-quick schemes often backfires, causing losses and regret. Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) and lumpsum investments, long term compounding, and diversified portfolios may appear slow, but they deliver enduring sweetness. Patience is the true vighnaharta of wealth creation. Invest regularly for the long term in stocks, mutual funds, and gold. Importantly, stay invested.


To Conclude

This festive season, as we pray to Lord Ganesha to remove difficulties from our lives, let us also act on our vighnas in our financial plan. A protected, disciplined, and patient financial plan ensures that the blessings of prosperity last well beyond the celebrations - turning every day into a festival of security and growth.


(The author is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

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