ABSTRACT
The 2012 London Summer Olympic Games represented a major opportunity for India, both from the point of view of an improved performance of the national team in terms of winning medals as well as enhancing an emotional connection with the Olympics amongst the large Indian Diaspora living in the UK. As Lord Sebastian Coe commentated, both aspects were interlinked: a strong performance by India was crucial for the involvement of the Indian Diaspora in the Olympics. But how did the Indian Diaspora actually react to the Games? Where did its loyalties lie, and how did it embrace the Olympic spectacle? Also, as the Games progressed, they drew further attention to the great multicultural inclusiveness of Great Britain. At the heart of Britain's great Olympic success were the performances of those athletes from multiracial backgrounds, notably the British athlete Jessica Ennis as well as those who had migrated to the UK such as Mo Farah. Britain embraced the success of Ennis and Farah as their own. Will those of Indian origin, and particularly budding sportspeople of the Indian community, take this as a positive sign? Will it spur the community to have greater representation in sports in UK?
