Spocial Revolution: Using sports to bring a revolution in society

As long as the earth is round, sports in India will continue to whip up a nation’s frenzy like nothing else, posters of sporting heroes will be placed right next to Gods in puja rooms and cricket will continue to be the unofficial Indian religion.

Yet, as a sporting nation, where does sports go beyond the big money, endorsements, WAGs and glamour? Can an Iqbal one day hope to play for the national team as a career? Can sport spring out of its narrow definitions to empower young minds with self-confidence? Can it pervade every open space for people to simply come out and play with abandon?

The story is just being written, we discover. Sports can be the beacon of hope for fresh and raw talent from lesser privileged backgrounds, whether in pursuing a career, as a way out of poverty, as a tool to empower young minds with self-confidence, mainstreaming their individualities, or as a catalyst for gender sensitization and social inclusion. Yet, politics and lack of funding lead to inadequate implementation of policies, and sports as an avenue, tool and platform remains a wishful thought for most in India not born into the privilege of private schools and country clubs.

India has seen several inspiring stories of sports maestros who have gone on to do the country and themselves proud, from cricket to archery and paralympics. But with the shrinking of ‘open spaces’, the joy of ‘everyone’ coming out to play and getting dirty – the ‘gully cricket’ phenomenon – is becoming at best a cherished memory.

This month, Sportskeeda, along with The Alternative, a sustainable lifestyle and social impact magazine, bring you 25 feature stories that re-ignite that old familiar feeling of community, good health and good will in sports and fitness.

~ Stories of the budding Milkha Singhs and Mary Koms of India who are challenging infrastructural limitations, class privileges, discriminating caste barriers, gender roles, regional remoteness and others in pursuit of a career and living in sports.

~ Stories of how sports can be more than fun and games, especially for children and youth at risk, helping to keep them out of a life of crime and violence.

~ Stories of how sports can be the perfect platform for school kids or Sunday buddies to engage in healthy sportsmanship and sensitization.

~ Stories of how sports and fitness have helped regular people in their day-to-day lives towards sound health, a closer connect to philanthropy and a consciousness to their city’s social spaces as well as culture and biodiversity.

Tell us how sports and physical fitness became your way of contributing to a social cause, saving the neighbourhood park or lake or discovering new sporty habitats right in the middle of our concrete jungles.

This remains a one-off game, not a revolution, unless we have your two feet in it. Be a spectator no more. Come out and play.

Be a game-changer.