Has India finally arrived on the sporting stage?

More and more parents are encouraging their children to seek a career in sports

India is attempting to make a mark in international sport and I love the public response to this. The athletes have fans who are backing them and praying for them. I am not really worried about the medals tally. Do you judge a sportsperson only by the number of victories? What if he or she loses a close contest? Is that not worthy of a salute?

Support and fan following

The atmosphere that has been generated in our country for the support of sportspersons is what makes me optimistic. More and more parents are encouraging their children to play and seek a career in sports. They have faith that sports can provide the platform for a healthy and decent future. I have seen this change in the last decade and I am convinced that India has arrived as a sporting nation. We must be patient. The day is not far when we will be a force to reckon with on the world stage.

It is good that we have an Olympic medallist as Union Sports Minister. This is a welcome change because the athletes are beginning to believe in the system. They are earning respect.

I don’t know about records at the ongoing Asian Games in Jakarta. We may break them, we may not. But we have competed well so far. Is that not an encouraging sign, an indication that we are moving in the right direction? I know the kabaddi defeats are going to hurt big. But have we not won medals in a variety of sports, from wushu and rowing to equestrian? Times are changing, India has taken to lesser-known sports in a big way. I am sure medals in these sports will show the way forward.

When the first Asian Games ended in 1951, India had clinched 15 gold medals. We have not achieved that mark again. That does not mean that the nation has lagged. You don’t become a sporting nation overnight. There are more people watching and more and more children playing. I can’t read the future but I can say with confidence that the stage is set for India to excel. We have set the ball rolling and the intentions are good. The recent victories of the Indian junior football teams have been very heartening.

The facilities provided by the government are second to none if you see the size of the country. Without government support, sport will die. A game like hockey will collapse if there is no government backing. It will also sink if there are no good competitions such as the Hockey India League which provides financial security to the players. The government is the provider, the driving force behind sports being given priority in schools and colleges.

Constant improvement

India has begun to offer competition in games which are not big at home. This is because we have talent. In traditional games like hockey, tennis, badminton and athletics, there is impressive progress. Swimmers have begun to make a mark and promise to rake in medals. To make a big splash at the 2022 Asian Games, we must begin preparations now.

Don’t measure success from the number of medals won. You must give importance to the fact that our boys and girls are constantly improving their personal bests and are very motivated.

Potential to shine

I know my generation played for the country even though there was no money. Today, sportspersons play for the country and also for the money. Given the growing number of youngsters taking to sports, I can say that India has shown the potential to shine on the world stage.

Source: the Hindu, 31/08/2018