Play for the National Team: Speaker tells youth
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday called for a shift in political culture from individual ambition to collective responsibility, saying India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047 would become “unstoppable” when leaders start playing for the “National Team”.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 15th Indian Student Parliament (Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad) in New Delhi, Gupta said politics must learn from sports, where victory belongs to the team and not to an individual. He was speaking on the theme, “From Stadium to Statesmanship: What Can Politics Learn from Sports?”
“In sports, victory belongs to the team. In politics, the true victory must belong to the people,” Gupta said, urging young leaders to imbibe discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship in public life.
He said the playing field is a powerful classroom for leadership. Just as an athlete works tirelessly to uphold the Tricolour, a public representative must serve with selfless devotion to protect the nation’s dignity, he added.
Gupta described discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship as the three pillars that can bring fresh energy into modern politics. In a democracy, he said, the Constitution is the ultimate rulebook, much like the laws of a game.
He asked the youth to treat political opponents as “competitors” and not “enemies”. Accepting defeat with grace and respecting the winner is the foundation of a progressive society, he said. “A captain is tested in a crisis. Similarly, a leader’s true character is seen when the nation faces challenges,” he added.
Speaking about the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047, Gupta said India can achieve developed nation status only if young people bring honesty, focus and merit into governance. He stressed that a developed India requires a political culture where merit is the only yardstick and manipulation gives way to dedication.
Breaking barriers of religion, caste and region is essential to build one national team, he said. Such unity, he added, will help India stand on the global podium as a leader across sectors.
Aligning his remarks with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gupta said the Viksit Bharat initiative is not merely a policy but a national movement powered by youth and technology. He said governance today must embrace digital innovation to ensure justice and opportunity reach the last person in the queue.
Drawing a parallel with modern sports analytics, he said governance must use digital tools to improve performance and transparency.
In his concluding remarks, Gupta urged students to treat failure not as a “full stop” but as a “comma”, an opportunity to improve and return stronger. He praised the Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad for nurturing character and integrity among young citizens. Reiterating his core message, the Speaker said that when leaders stop playing for themselves and start playing for the nation, India’s rise as a global champion will be certain.
