Sports development in India: The grassroots problem

India is a big deal. It has the world's second-largest population and its ninth largest economy; it's the biggest democracy in existence and one of the oldest nations in history. India is known as a vibrant country that has always carried a fevered pitch and fervent excitement for sports

But the million dollar question is - Why does India, despite a population of over one billion, field so few medalists? It is important to note that Indian athletes are no slouches. The Indian cricket and field hockey teams are among the world's finest, having an outstanding record in a number of events. However, there are certain factors that might explain India's under-performance at the big stage.

Superstitious beliefs

Probably, the most common is that both India as a country and as individuals just have other priorities. Sports is never a priority for a majority of Indian parents and their kids. Most Indians share the belief that, "If you study hard you will be successful but if you play sports you will ruin your life."

Poverty

Poverty is widespread in India and because of this menace, such a massive population cannot produce good sportspersons. It is very difficult for many Indian families to provide the means to their children to pursue a career in sports. Consequently, a lot of latent talent goes undiscovered or inadequately nurtured to compete at the level of Olympics.

Poor Infrastructure

Lack of facilities at the grass root level is a major problem. Schools and colleges lack basic infrastructure that can encourage other sports, so even if someone has a natural talent in a particular sport, it gets crushed at the school level itself.

The concept of school sports or college sports is still not seen as an option in India's education system. Maybe cause we lack coaches who can nurture and groom talent is the reason why we haven't been able to produce many Olympians of international calibre

Lack of recognition of sports other than cricket

Cricket continues to dominate India's sporting landscape. Sports other than cricket are not given much weightage as a career option, because neither they appear neither financially lucrative nor glamorous. More than the government, it's the apathy of corporates and wealthy individuals towards other sports that has to change.

Corruption

Corruption plagues all major Indian sports, including cricket, hockey, weightlifting, and athletics. The governing boards of the sports federations are under the control of politicians and bureaucrats who have little or no interest and knowledge of the specific requirements and anticipated problems in that sport.

A number of instances of sportspersons testing positive for doping just before an international event depicts a totally unprofessional approach.

However recently, the government and many other sporting organizations have taken massive steps to sort out India's sporting mess and this revolution has taken the country by storm.

The grassroots initiative have provided opportunities for young kids to showcase their talent at a school and college level. It also has awarded scholarships to talented kids to ignite their passion towards the sport.

Within the next decade or so, India plans to become the new super-power of sport and this could be a massive game changer to the Indian sporting scenario if these programs are managed efficiently.

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