India's Achilles' Heel

Nearing its 73rd Independence Day, India has much to be proud of – its progress in economy, education, industry, research, etc., has been encompassing and credible. But, an Achilles heel remains – in the playground, India continues to struggle. There have been a few occasions of cheer, but India's overall medal tally at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games has not been remarkable. Every time India improves marginally at a sporting event, we join the unanimous chorus – "This is it, we have become a sports power, now there is no stopping us". But, our medal tally continues to reflect a tough reality while telling us that many miles remain to be traversed.

So far, in Olympic history, we have won just nine golds, which includes eight from hockey. Abhinav Bindra is the only individual with a gold, which he secured in the Men's 10 m Air Rifle shooting event at Beijing in 2008. Other than that, we have seven silvers and 12 bronze medals from the Olympics. We were at 67th position in the Rio Olympics with smaller and economically weaker countries like Kenya, Jamaica and Cuba boasting of a better tally.

India is the number one team in cricket, indeed, but we are at the 147th position in football – the contrast in unmistakable. The Indian football team is invisible on the international dais and, here, a footballer had to plead to audiences, begging them to come and watch their game. Barring cricket, stadiums remain empty during sporting events. Few people even believe that India is banned from international football as it never appears in the FIFA world cup and many more have no idea what the Olympic is, no joking!

Forget football and Olympics, even in our so-called national sports – hockey – we stand fifth. There was a time when we were arguably the best hockey team in the world – India had won eight golds, of which six were in a row, along with one silver, and two bronze medals in the Olympics from 1928 to 1980. But that dominance has long ended. Sadly, India's name does not appear anywhere near the top in other sports too. If any player wins a medal for the country, we are shocked as we have stopped believing in any sport other than cricket.

India tends to rely on a few top players at international sporting events. In every sport, India has a hero who is inspiring millions with their performance. But who after them will fill the void created by a retiring sportsperson? For example, once, Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza were the bearers of our hope in tennis, now, we cannot find a single promising player on the tennis court. Incidentally, badminton is in better hands with Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, and Srikanth Kidambi. No denying that some of our players have stood atop podiums, but those cases have been few and far between.

So, what is actually wrong with sports in India? We are a country of 130 crore, most of whom are youth, then why are we still waiting to become a sports power?

Many of us, during our childhood, must have heard the proverb – Padhoge Likhoge, Banoge Nawab; Kheloge Kudoge, Banoge Kharab (If you read and write, you will be a king; if you play and jump, you will become a degenerate). This has been our underlying attitude towards sports. Sports as a professional choice has been least favoured. More than benefitting our children, this narrow attitude has sharply affected the success of sports in our country.

Almost all sports superpowers – be it Australia, Russia, USA, or China – have established academies where children are trained from a tender age. They go through the rigours of training and honing their skills, while the government takes care of all expenditure. But India does not have such distinct academies and, naturally, many talented players are lost in the crowd because of the lack of proper training. There are private institutes, but they are too costly for middle-class or poor families. If India can follow other successful countries' footsteps to provide better infrastructure and facilities to its players, only then can it begin its journey towards becoming a sporting superpower.

Unfortunately, politicians, whose understanding of sports is negligible, are controlling all prime positions in almost every sports organisation in India. If these politicians could be replaced with former players, then we might witness fresh energy and new opportunities, as a person who has practised sports professionally can often provide a better balance of experience and advice.

But, the main problem lays at the grassroots level. The government has failed miserably in creating interest among masses and sports has still not been added to the priority curriculum of schools. The different corners of our country also hide much precious talent that never comes to the fore. Though the government, in 2018, launched Khelo India Youth Games to revive sports in the country, it has provided little scope for expansion of the project.

Most importantly, the Indian government must increase the sports budget, which is meagre in comparison to what other countries spend on sports. To improve performance, players need better coaching too. Patiala-based National Institute of Sports, which certify trainers and coaches, has an outdated curriculum that is almost 30 years behind the schedule.

Now, technology has also become an integral part of every sport. So, India too needs to learn better utilisation of technology while training sportspersons. Every game-related technology should be made available to players and coaches. Alongside, proper turfs for sports such as wrestling, football, hockey, boxing should also be set up.

Budding players should also get a chance to play with their better foreign counterparts so that they can improve their own game. Funds for equipment must be made easier to obtain. A sportsperson should also be provided with insurance so that in the event of an injury, they can have easy access to medical treatment.

To complete all these herculean tasks, the government has brought in Kiren Rijiju as sports minister of India. Incumbent sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has been relieved from his duty for unknown reasons. It was a surprising move as many had thought that either Rathore would continue or the position would go to someone with experience in professional sports. Former cricketer and now MP Gautam Gambhir and former BCCI chief Anurag Thakur could have been better choices. But that's politics, let's not delve into that. Our new sports minister is conscious of fitness and has been assigned the task of reviving our nation's fortune in the international arena.

After joining office, Rijiju said that the government will work to improve the country's medal count in the next three Olympic games. He also said that he will be very particular about the well-being of players, their requirements and will duly provide them with the best facilities.

In the past too, he had expressed his concern about the poor performance of Indian players in international events. He also had raised questions about the issue of governance. He had argued that non-integration of sports with education at school and university levels and lack of support in terms of well-qualified coaches are the key reasons behind our country's poor performance. He advocates for the implementation of sports promotional schemes across the country to identify and promote sportspersons, including women, in the age group of 8-25 years.

But he was not the sports minister when he raised these concerns. It is easier to make claims when you are not burdened with responsibilities. Now, it is time for him to prove his words. He must strive to improve all those grey areas which are hindering India from becoming a sports power. It is likely that he will drive the efforts of the Sports Authority of India in this endeavour. With the Tokyo Olympics also around the corner, we will very soon gauge the direction of the wind.