India has not performed well in international sports. What is the main reason?
(a) Media and private enterprise encourage cricket only, or (b) Indians do not pursue sports from an early age, or (c) The government is not doing enough for sports
International sports are highly competitive. Individuals who pursue sports casually from childhood cannot hope to perform well, as appropriate muscles and practice with advanced gear are required for most sports, apart from simply surviving injuries.
(a) Media and private enterprise encourage cricket only: -
- Media coverage, corporate sponsorships, and commercial investments heavily favour cricket, making it the most visible and financially powerful sport in the country. While this has helped India become a global cricket powerhouse, it has also created an imbalance in the growth of other sports.
- Any individual plays a sport mainly for the love of the game. But it is also true that the media's adoration of the sport encourages a sportsperson to excel. Hence, media coverage of most cricket matches encourages youth to play cricket.
- In sports other than cricket, the media waits for an individual to win internationally before giving that sportsman suitable publicity. It makes the journey to international fame challenging in terms of facilities and money. Hence, fewer youths take up other sports.
- Cricket has a huge fan base, so the media gets enough money through advertisements. Cricket guarantees high TRP and audience engagement. However, to incline people to other sports or increase the popularity of sports other than cricket, the media will have to go the extra mile. But fears of lower TRP restrict the media.
- Private sponsors usually support the player & event when the sports are shown on TV or covered in newspapers & magazines. Sponsorships during cricket tournaments reach millions of consumers. Players wearing the sponsor's logo on clothes and gear, and billboards in the background, give the sponsors publicity.
- When the media publicises an event at the district or state level, people buy tickets and watch a match, helping the sports federation. The sports federation can give the players good prize money and facilities. Cricket provides higher commercial returns. Therefore, youth are encouraged to play cricket.
- The media glare on cricket team selectors keeps the selection process transparent. It encourages the right talent to come forward. The same media glare is absent for other sports.
(b) Indians do not pursue sports from an early age: -
- Most sports require a child to start learning them as early as 5 or 6 years old. We cannot expect a 5 to 12-year-old child to reach a stadium or park independently to practise a sport. Hence, the help of parents is a must. However, most Indian parents are not health-conscious and do not engage in sports. Instead, they waste time in non-productive activities with their children.
- Most Indians play for recreation rather than competing at the district or regional level. Most parents teach children to be competitive in their studies. Only a few parents encourage their children to be competitive in sports. A lack of awareness that there can be money and fame in sports pushes most Indians towards a secure future through studies rather than sports. Hence, even wealthy parents encourage children to study but rarely encourage them to pursue sports as a full-time option.
- A sport like long-distance running requires minimal infrastructure to reach State-level excellence. However, children do not practice year-round to excel in an athletic event like long-distance running. Children who start practising long-distance running at an early age will develop the right muscles for it and are likely to excel in international events.
- Schools also take more pride in academic results. They need to allocate sufficient time to sports in schools, so that some students who could have excelled in sports are not left behind.
- Coaching institutes exist for all types of competitive exams in a city. However, a city has few or no professional sports coaching institutes. The main reason is that most parents do not want to spend money on sports coaching. Hence, children do not have the opportunity to pursue sports early in life.
(c) Govt is not doing enough for sports: -
- A government school should have more sports teachers. These teachers can be former players. It will generate jobs for sportspeople who have reached national and state levels. They will be a better guide to young sportspeople in schools.
- Like RTE, the government must make a conscious effort to encourage sports in schools. The infrastructure for sports in small towns and cities is insufficient and needs improvement.
- The prize money given by sporting bodies depends on their economic situation and is rarely provided by the government. The government should give prizes and scholarships for sports.
- Every city and town administration should have sports stadiums employing coaches of national and international fame. These coaches will be able to attract sporting talent to stadiums.
- The sports bodies should have only sportspeople as secretaries and chairpersons. The government should not allow politicians to grab these posts for money and fame.
- The government should pass laws granting sports sponsors tax benefits for donations to local stadiums. The tax benefits for private companies that sponsor infrastructure for other sports will encourage all sports.