Encouraging Sports

Hi All,

I thought i would use this post to elaborate on how sports can be promoted and how we can create a sporting culture in our country.

There was a brief mention of the wrangle that we are finding ourselves in when there is a even the very mention of sports in my last post. The problems are clearly deep rooted and hence the solutions will certainly not be simplistic and if they are then we only are digging the grave,that we are finding ourselves in, even deeper.

1. I would like to see sports being encouraged right from the primary school level. This rule should be enforced on all schools regardless of their status i.e. both govt & private schools. A system must be put in place to ensure that students' achievements in sports somehow find their way to their report cards. This sends a strong signal to the society at large that energy and resources spent on sports is being appreciated. [ it is an open secret that most middle class Indian parents want their wards to become doctors or engineers. By changing this desire, we can create a greater pool of athletes.]

2. Scouts from relevant sporting bodies must scour the entire country in order to find young talent and in deserving cases provide scholarships to these students to continue their education in special schools that channel their talent and energy to more meaningful purposes. i.e. "Catch them young"

3. A new government policy on sports is the need of the hour. it must be a policy that provides incentives, subsidies and tax breaks for anything that is even remotely associated with sports. This will ensure that the much needed infrastructure is created..like stadiums, running tracks, courts etc. The policy must also address issues such as cronyism. Strict rules must be enacted and implemented so as to make sure that the only consideration in selecting candidates for major sporting events is based purely on merit and nothing else.

4. India, as most would agree, in a one-sport nation. Cricket enjoys demi-god status in every nook and corner of the country. Somehow over the years we have lost the plot and started to think that the only sport in the world is cricket. This shallowness can be justified by the modest successes/glory the sport has brought for India in recent times. Its time we regain our senses and look at the broader picture. We as a society must evolve and learn to accept and embrace other sports as well. Though the government can play an active role in this, for the most part it is we who have to change and move on from cricket.