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5 December 2015, Bangalore: This year’s edition of the GoSports Foundation Conclave saw India’s top coaches, sports science experts, and sports administrators come together to discuss the future of Indian sport. Held at ITC Windsor, Bangalore, this first-of-its-kind congregation of experts from across different areas of specialization, within the sporting ecosystem was themed around “Make in India – Creating World Champions with World-Class Domestic Coaching and Support Systems”. With talks, panel discussions and open dialogues among all the attendees, the conclave focused on a wide spectrum of topics ranging from avenues for continuing education for coaches, to cutting edge sports science research that could alter training methodologies.
The day’s proceedings began with a talk by Chief National Coach for Badminton in India, Mr. Pullela Gopichand. A Member of the GoSports Foundation’s Advisory Board, Gopichand shared his vision for the larger framework for the development of sport in the country. “There should be parallel systems to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots, intermediate, and elite levels, with coaches who specialize in working with athletes at these levels. It is necessary to incentivise coaches who are working at every level, and I believe that their pay should also be equal” Sharing his thoughts on how sport should be managed, he added “I would like to see a system where coaches become the central force in driving policy, structure and frameworks for the development of the sport.”
Gopichand’s talk was followed by a panel discussion between some of India’s most successful coaches. They shared strategies and training methods that had worked well for them. The conclave also included a talk on the importance of winning with clean sport by Mr. Prasanna Choudhari, Joint Managing Director of Nutra Supplements. Mr. Choudhari spoke at length on the importance of being cognizant of dope-control mechanisms in place and selecting good supplements based on athletes’ requirements, while also taking into account the long-term impact of these supplements on a person’s health.
With 4 decades of experience in mentoring some of India’s top swimmers, Nihar Ameen spoke about the evolution of the swimming ecosystem in India, through his personal journey as a coach. Having closely observed some of the world’s most powerful swimming contingents at the Olympics, he opined “For any country looking to succeed at the Olympics, it is only logical to spend on a sport like swimming where there 34 medals are on offer. You are only as good as your talent pool, and increasing this talent pool is the first step towards succeeding in the sport.
Former Physiotherapist for Indian Cricket Team, John Gloster, spoke about his experience as a sports science expert in India. While explaining Australia’s sporting success across the board, he also stressed upon the importance of minimizing the interventions while maximizing the impact; succinctly summarizing his mantra - “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
With open discussions among all the attendees, the day ended with suggestions for the way forward for Indian sport and how all the stakeholders could work towards putting Indian sport on the world map.
