Every 4 years, we look at China, the USA, and Great Britain’s medal tally at the Olympics and complain about our athletes winning medals here and there but failing to make it a habit consistently.
Have you ever wondered why this happens?
Why is a country with a population of over a billion not producing quality athletes regularly?
With a bit of introspection, it’s evident that the problem is not in the facilities, infrastructure, or talented players, but it dwells deep in the system’s roots.
Need for Prioritization of Sports in Schools
Walk a few years down the memory lane; you are in school, you have your Physical Education period, but your math teacher wants to take an extra class to finish their portions, and thus, there’s no PE period.
This is exactly where schools lack compassion for sports. Science, Commerce, and even Arts are graded and given scores, but physical education and sports are just free periods and a let-off for students.
This should change, children should be made aware of the prominence of playing sports, and that can happen only when schools give due importance to sports as it gives to other subjects.
Systems Inculcated in Sporting Nations
Grassroot structures in schools are vital to nurture potential talents and develop them into pro athletes.
The USA, for instance, among many other countries, provides students with scholarships to colleges for exemplary performance in any sport of their choice. This opportunity will motivate them to play and excel in the sport and take up a college education.
Exceptional college athletes also get directly picked into the NBA, NFL, and MLB teams through college drafts, making universities or colleges concentrate on having good sports teams.
England is another such country which is rich in its sporting history. The country plays a huge variety of sports and has world-class cricket, football, hockey, and rugby teams.
They always put in good performances in the Olympics, depicting their possession of elite athletes. Children in schools are made to play each kind of sport and have a sound knowledge about the game.
Playing many sports will eventually bring out the player in the child or make them follow a sport; in either case, it’s a win for the sporting community.
Problem India faces regarding Sports
Apart from cricket, no other sport is widely followed in the country. Football is limited to certain places; hockey is a historic sport, and we hardly identify track event athletes.
It is essential to diversify the sporting fraternity in the country. With new leagues like the Indian Super League and Pro Kabaddi League coming in, this gap is being gradually filled.
Possible Solutions
Firstly, schools need to identify sports as a subject and develop children’s interest in taking up sports.
Scholarship in sports will come in handy for students who are average in studies and want to pursue higher education but are good in sports.
Finally, it is impossible to change the situation if the common folk are not following sports and are not actively involved in their dialogues.
So, if India has to become a competitive sporting country, there has to be a collective effort, and everyone has to play their part.
( This Post is not intended to defame anyone. It just author’s view and it could be different from person to person. )
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