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What's the story?
Ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games that begin from the 4th, startling statistics have come to surface. An analysis of the Sports Ministry data was conducted taking financial statements, funding data of India. The statistics expose something quite stark. Most of the allowances of the funds are passed on to the shooters of the country. Aside from shooting, wrestling, too, bites off the lion's share of the funding provided.
In case you didn't know...
Ever since the Narendra Modi government came into being in 2015, much has been tried to restore India’s sporting glory. The Government started the 'Target Olympic Podium'(TOP) scheme whereby 100 athletes are selected and taken under the wing and given a monthly amount of Rs. 50000 to help them in their training process.
The sports ministry’s latest annual report accounts for 92 of the 'selected' so-called TOP athletes who have received almost Rs 80 million as financial assistance from the Modi government between 2015-16.
The heart of the matter
Out of the total money reserved for shooting athletes, two-thirds of it went to Abhinav Bindra, Manavjit Sandhu and Heena Sandhu.
The Phogat sisters, Yogeshwar Dutt, Sushil Kumar was bestowed with Rs. 3 million altogether. Ironically, the much-hyped Sania Mirza who has not won a singles match since June 2012, received more or less the same amount from the government's side.
Also, comparing the data with other competing countries like Britain and Australia which have a very fairly segmented funding for all its athletes, India falls short there.
What's next?
The TOP scheme which seels to identify athletes who could win medals for India in the 2020 Olympics and promises dedicated training and financial assistance to them needs to broaden its sphere and not start favouring certain sports.
Adopting such an attitude could prove disadvantageous and the chances of India winning medals will diminish. The right kind of funding needs to be recognised and fair financial treatment of all athletes is the need of the hour.
Author's take
The sad fact is that India fails to recognize it's athletes and treat them equally. It's highly unfair to have some sports given the upper hand over the other. To dismiss other sports by not providing the ample funding is also indicative of lesser chances at a medal.
Nonetheless, the problem with funds has been a pressing issue with a country like India. First of all, sports except cricket and football don't get the viewers and almost automatically steals all the funds so that the issue about other athletes and their sport lingers as an afterthought.
If India is to emerge as a true sporting nation, like an Australia or a Great Britain, it needs to exit the limitations of a cricket pitch or a football ground and enter the ring and set itself on the right track towards glory.
