Lets accept it, we’ve taken the axiom “playing for Fun” a bit too seriously. Most of us in India are brought up with a secular love for sports with kids being introduced to sports as a hobby (and meant to remain so). Here, I’ll bounce some points back and forth which will try to hint the factors which have led to this almost sorry state of sports in India.
1. Sports are played for fun
True. Sports are fun but there is a very serious element attached with it which goes amiss in India at the beginning of a kid’s sporting career. “One has to win and one has to lose”, yes, but sometimes we’re taught to accept defeat a bit too graciously. There aren’t many stories like that of Andre Agassi wherein he was pushed like a maniac into playing tennis and eventually he ended up coming out as a winner. The stern belief in a sport coming from a parent is very important for a kid to succeed. I believe that is missing somewhere.
2. Juggling too much
Sports are looked upon as an addition to the resume in the future when he/she might have to take up an admission or job on sports quota. To have the maximum entries, kids are enrolled for skating for one season, cricket the other and table tennis the third. With three certificates in the piggy bank, the future can only be right. Yes, right.
3. Fanatic Love for Cricket
I’d lay a lot of blame on this religion that has been created. Cricket is the only sport in which a normal kid can consider a career if he is good enough. The only sport in India with money, it has close to butchered the chances of other sports rising up. We’ve been talking about the situation improving but religions are not wiped away so soon. Kids need to see more sports before being handed a cricket bat.
4. Bad Facilities
This again stems from the fact that we in a way have a low regard for sports. Making a living out of playing a sport is still looked upon as a no-no. And the facilities which are available, aren’t much more than mediocre. Grounds, equipment and coaches – all of these areas need a huge boost. Any kid being exposed to high class sporting facilities will definitely have a different kind of respect for the sport and pursue it far more enthusiastically.
5. Not custom built for sports
This point might raise a few hues and cries but the Indian body is not custom-made for something like athletics, basketball or gymnastics. When someone pictures an Indian male, it’s usually a 5 feet 5 inch guy with a podgy belly who’s running around in the daily grind. A very biased opinion, true, but the fact remains that a majority of Indians don’t possess any sporting capabilities. We have exceptional players in all fields but if sports was in our genes, we would be doing a lot more with our 1.2 billion + population.
There might be several other factors that might be detrimental to a kid’s progress in sports. Do list them in the comments section and also let me know if your views are completely contradictory.
18 Comments
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Peter Santamaria-Woods Joined 0 points“Indian body is not custom-made for something like athletics, basketball or gymnastics” – that’s rubbish. In a country of 1.2 Billion people not everyone conforms to the sterotype you have described here. No bodies are custom-made for sports, it takes years of training and effort to get your body to the right level – that’s the issue on this point, a lack of belief that it’s actually possible.
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 2:57 pm -
Shaurya Singh Joined 0 points
Yes surendra u r right one day I told my mother that I want 2 become a football player she got very angried.
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 2:29 pm -
Bharath Krishnan Joined 0 points
most Indian parents are retarded and can’t think independently. just follow what the kid next door does . nowadays from 7th std itself-”beta don’t waste time playing . IIT foundation classes chalo ” . no wonder we have so many sports commentators and editors than sports men .
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 2:11 pm -
Sachin Pawar Joined 0 points
and also lack of support interms of infrastructure and training.
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:42 pm -
Mayank Choubey Joined 0 points
do not agree with the last point.
you see so many of sporting pot bellies because of the first 4 reasons… the culture is to sit back and relax.
Most of the parents allow their children to play cricket as1. the chances of them getting hurt is minimum (not a contact sport) and 2. not much running around is done. chill at a place while you field an when you bat, its only few meters – child is not tired and can STUDY.
Any indian who has not adhered to “just sit and relax and eat ghee ke5 parathe or 1/2 kg rice every meal” philosophy has not developed a pot belly.commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:33 pm -
Tarish Bhatt Joined Jul,2011 40 points
Super article, loved it! :D
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:21 pm -
and don’t forget that most of the parents in India wants there children to STUDY STUDY STUDY.. NOTHING ELSE.. they want there children to become a engineer , doctor or any professional and not a sport star representing the country.
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:05 pm -
Nikith Amin Jr. Joined 0 points
Nice
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:03 pm -
Atul Nikam Joined 0 points
its true..
commented on 19th Jul 2012 at 1:02 pm
dude who told our body isn’t bulit for sports..lol…chhinese people got so many gold medals in last olmpics..body is nothing to do with that…we don’t have proper facilities.and parents don’t encourage us in that path though we have interest..we have to drop it.