The need of a 'hero' in every sport

As they say, one person can make all the difference and in sports, this cliché is all the more true. For any sport to prosper, it needs a hero, an icon which is idolised by the people and who inspires the coming generation to take up the sport. So when we talk of some of the sports which are lagging behind in India in terms of public and financial support and look for ways to uplift them, we need to look for ways to make heroes in that sport. Take for example Olympic Boxing, India was nowhere to be seen in the map of world boxing before the arrival of Vijender Singh whose Bronze in Beijing Olympics turned out to be a stepping stone for boxing in India and since then, has gained popularity.

Vijender Singh is the face of boxing in India and because of him to a large extent, many youths are taking to boxing and millions in India have started to follow the sport. You can also add the name of Mary Kom for what she has achieved in women’s boxing. Same is the case in other sports. Earlier, badminton was a game which was played by girls just as a past-time outside their homes, but with the emergence of the “Wonder Girl” Saina Nehwal, many girls right from the age of 6 or 7 are joining the various academies and the parents are also taking the sport seriously. It’s not just a past-time for them any more, why? It’s because they have an icon, a face by which they are inspired and which gives them the belief to dream. Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Rathore and Gagan Narang too have inspired many to look at shooting as a career seriously and this is one the reasons that India does so well in shooting sports.

Looking at how the popularity of hockey has gone down, it can be attributed to the failure in producing any sporting icons and heroes like we once had – Dhyan Chand, Leslie Claudius, Dhanraj Pillay and many others. Same is the case with football to some extent. Yes, we have great talent and potential but my point is that we need a hero who gives the sport a recognition among general masses and gives a reason to the young generation to take up the sport and follow it. Like what is happening in Belgium, with the likes of Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany becoming the face of football there and bringing about kind of a revolution in Belgian football. The result is that Belgium is becoming a force to reckon with in football.

This is one of the reasons that cricket has been the most favourite sport in our country, because we have always had heroes in it, right from the time of Nawab Pataudi. Since then, there have been Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and so on. The list is long and that is why the sport is so big here in India and hopefully, will remain so.

This is what other sports want, a rich culture and few heroes to change the scenario; a footballer who goes on to play in big leagues like EPL or Bundesliga or some other, and performs there. Similarly, hockey needs a hero again, like Dhyan Chand or Pillay. We never know when someone might rise from the oblivion and turns the tides for that sport. We do not lack in ability or potential to excel in any sport and because of the population, have more than enough hidden talent for any sport. But it just requires a special one coming through the rungs of the society and giving a stroke of brilliance, becoming a role model for others and the focus of adulation for billions. We need the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Singh and Saina Nehwal for every sport.