India has registered progress in the global sporting arena but there’s still a long way to go
Tokyo 2020 has ended. All eyes are now on Paris 2024. The Indian contingent returns from Japan on a high with the highest ever tally of medals, including the first gold in track and field. India made a mark in new fields like golf and fencing while it found its spark in its old flame, hockey. The girls fared better, even though they came from diverse regions and classes. A greater emphasis was on individual sports that returned most of the medals. India was in news on the opening day of the Games and the eve of closing. It is now time for the questions as usual, as at the end of every Olympics. We are more than a billion of us and yet why do we get so few medals? The question is cliched. The answers are, too. However, there is some difference between now and the past. The interest taken by the Government and shown by the private sector is palpable though it is nowhere near what is expected of both. The Union Government claims to have overhauled the Sports Authority of India (SAI) after the indifferent Indian tale at the Rio Olympics of 2016. It is apparently less bureaucratised, less corrupt, more efficient and more considerate of players’ interests. The complaints, however, remain, ranging from less nutritious food to inferior quality equipment, favouritism and ordinary coaching. These are systemic faults that dilute the impact of crores of rupees poured into the Authority and its various national camps.
There is an attitudinal fault in the country. It has to do with a casual approach to sports if it is not cricket. The game is the most popular in India even though hockey is said to be the national sport. Parents would not hesitate to support a child showing talent in cricket because the game is primarily seen as a means to earning money and fame, in that order. Otherwise, sports are considered a recreation. In a country where economic and social inequalities determine the contours of human existence, a talented child has to overcome four hurdles. One is that giving time to sports reduces chances of earning for the household. Two, sports can be acknowledged only after the player achieves a medal and brings in cash; else look for a well-paid job. Three, sports requiring attire that do not cover a woman’s body are against the laws of some religions. Four, a lower caste person winning a sporting medal can still expect derision from the upper caste neighbours. There could be more such hurdles. The glimmer of hope is that the new generation of talented youngsters is ignoring these obstacles to fight their way out of the social quagmire and excel in their chosen fields. What they need is a structured support system, public and private, to foster them. Excise their fear of going hungry and ostracism and give them the hope they ask for. The strategising and making of champions come later.