The Miserable Condition of Sports in India

THE MISERABLE CONDITION OF SPORTS IN INDIA

                                                                         BY

                                                                        M. Saravana Kumar

                                                                                                1st Year M.A, Public Policy

                                                                                                20164044

Sports persons all over the world play to win but in India, they play to make a living out of it. This sentence explains the current condition of sports in India. The general mindset of Indian people is if you study well you will get a good job but playing sports is a mere waste of time. The reasons for the miserable condition are lack of infrastructure, poor health, girls not being allowed into sports, sports politics, lack of information among people, and attitude of parents towards sports.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Sports infrastructure plays a crucial role in achieving excellence in the global arena of sports. It not only helps in producing athletes who shine in international competitions but also encourages the youth population in the country to participate in sporting activities to create a culture of sports. The lack of infrastructure facilities in India is one of the major hindrances in the development of sports in India. The number of grounds and quality sports academies available to our athletes is very less. The amount of funds allocated by the central government towards sports infrastructure is very less when compared to other sectors in the country. There are many schemes introduced by the central government but the problem lies in the implementation of those schemes. It is a pity that majority of children who go to school do not get the opportunity to take part in sports due to lack of sports infrastructure or open spaces.

POOR HEALTH

Healthy people is necessary for a country to develop the sports condition. In India, most of the people do not have the physical fitness to participate in a sport. The amount India spends on developing the health condition of the sports persons is very less when compared to other stronger sporting nations. Athletes do not get the sufficient amount of nutrition needed to excel in international competitions. The health condition of our athletes is one of the major reasons why we do not win in major events.

POOR SPORTS GOVERNANCE AND ITS IMPACT ON ATHLETES

Sports Governance is the system by which organizations are directed and managed. It influences how the objectives of the organization are set and achieved, spells out the rules and procedures for making organizational decisions, and determines the means of optimizing and monitoring performance, including how risk is monitored and assessed.The prime reason for our poor performance in sports is lack of proper governance. Due to this many time the players are affected. The government and the Respective sports boards are the main culprits for letting down India. Most of them are corrupt, lack of professionalism and very biased. The most recent embarrassment to Indian sport is the suspension which was followed by the expulsion of IOA by IOC due to the fact that officials tainted by corruption and criminal charges win influential positions in the IOA.The main reason for the athletes to compete at the international level is to see their national flag being represented during the games. The amount of psychological effect it as on the athletes when the national flag is not represented cannot be described in words. One of the Indian athletes stated that the main reason for the sportspersons to play the sport is to see their respective national flag being represented.If the national flag is not represented the athlete told he will sit at home instead of playing the sport. This shows the amount of impact the national flag as on the athlete’s mindset. Due to the explusion of the IOA in 2014 India was the only country in that games whose athletes was forced to walk with the Olympic flags during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. It is really shocking to see politicians and ex-bureaucrats holding positions as Chairman and Committee members for several decades most of them having no clue about the sport in general with the government of India pumping several crore rupees into the various sports bodies for promoting sports and encouraging the sportsmen, these sports bodies have become fertile ground for the politicians and ex-bureaucrats to make money. Those who suffer due to such shoddy conditions are the athletes, who have the talent and desire to compete and excel themselves in the international arena but they need to be given proper grooming and training which they have been denied. The ugly conditions in the sports bodies have been repeatedly revealed by several stories such as the coaches misbehaving with women athletes, selecting people in the team based on favoritism and bribes, etc. People in India have been watching helplessly and with sadness, while the sports authorities have been behaving as if they are not accountable to anybody and neither the government nor anyone else can touch them.