A spurt of medals at Beijing has sent the entire Indian nation into celebration mode rarely seen in this country of a billion and more.

This new band of ambassadors of Olympic sport in India have truly made their country proud by winning three individual medals (one of them a gold) in the summer Games. These achievements make further sense for people who really understand the nitty grittiness of sports like wrestling and the 10m Air Rifle event - and the difficulties associated with winning three out of four wrestling matches in one day in wrestling and securing a 10.8 and a total of 700.5 in a pressure-packed final.

Yes, these boys have really done something which has helped them make their mark in history. But what is so special about these lads, or millions of youngsters trying to make a mark in different spheres of life in India? This India that is buzzing with positive energy. The youngistan of whom we speak so fondly with a glint in our eye seriously does not know the meaning of the word impossible, rather they convert the same in ‘I’ ‘M’ ‘possible’.

Sport is one arena where we have always lagged behind. If I am not taken as a cynic, we have not had more than “two sporting legends” in an era spanning a century. Dhyan Chand and Sachin Tendulkar are the two I am referring to, and I know the latter might get a bit controversial since his last few outings on the cricket field haven’t been great.

But rather than dwelling on the negatives, let’s talk positive since now is about positivity. And what better beginning than history being created at Beijing, led by a gold in the air-rifle shooting - a sport which has hardly been a part of history until the last ten years or so, since this bunch of blue-eyed superstars took to the world of shooting with a storm.

They had won almost everything - 122 medals in the World Championships, Asiad and the Commonwealth Games speak volumes about their ability and now with this Olympic gold, and the silver which was won last time, these shooters have completed their baggage.

This is the exclusivity of new India. The hunger which was never seen before comes with pragmatism and belief in the ability to achieve everything desired. This is well reflected in Abhinav Bindra’s statement prior to winning the Gold when he said: “Every day comes a new problem and with it another challenge, but what’s fascinating is this journey of struggle”.

This struggle which Bindra has found fascinating has not been as glamorous in the past. No, I am not taking any credit away from our greats who have made the country proud time and again by winning several events and have been a whisker away on more than one occasion from summer Olympics glory, but numbers do tell a bitter story.

Thus we can say that if the bar was to be raised a few centimetres, new India has started the process. The results started coming as early as in 2001 when an unknown Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif came to the party during an English summer and clinched the NatWest Trophy.

The same happened last year when a bunch of young cricketers surprised the world, winning the Twenty20 World Cup, and the same took the Australians apart, defeating them squarely in the triangular.

If you thought the cricketing script has always been fascinating, have a look at these. Karun Chandhok is the historic champion of the first-ever Formula Asia V6 by Renault Championship and was also the first driver to represent India in an A1 GP. In fact his achievements won him appreciation from none other than Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, who admitted that he is a fan of Karun.

The story of Saina Nehwal in badminton is fascinating. She has done a more than phenomenal job in reaching the top eight (though she is ranked 12) in Beijing but seeing her hunger at the age of 18, she seems to be made of steel. And when she says she does not get intimidated by higher-ranked players, that speaks volumes about her courage and confidence.

Boxing has a story of its own. The brilliance of the trio from Bhiwani - Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar - has made top boxers of the world take notice. These three have been just too good for their opponents. If they are an opening, Bhiwani promises thousands more like them, which augurs very well for the future.

Kumar, who comes from a room where 20 people lived, tells an inspiring story that if you have the courage to live a dream you will achieve it, no matter how many obstacles are in the way. At the end of the day winning three bouts, after a heartbreaking loss in the first bout of the day in a game based on sheer power and tactical brilliance, isn’t easy. But that shows the ability of these new Indians to bounce back from any setback.

The hockey teams were not succdessful in Beijing, but progress is nonetheless remarkable. The senior team were runners up in the Champions trophy and the juniors did win the Asia Cup this year. What is needed is more work on the infrastructure and I am sure the zeal of being the best hockey side in the world can be brought back, because the same was seen when the youngsters of the side were facing the test in the Asia Cup.

“No one can resist an idea whose time has come,” said Victor Hugo, and the time for these Indian youngsters has come to show that, come what may, they are not going to say lie down till glory beckons.

What needs to be done is to take this momentum from Beijing forward. Make these sports a part of life, like cricket. Seeing the frenzy of the nation as they waited for the results of Vijender and the others was truly exciting.

The only thing that needs to be done now is to make these stories unforgettable, and if that is done the day is not far off when the tricolor will soar high more often than not in great sporting arenas.