Sad state of Sports in India!! Can we improve? How?

[Mahip]

Asian Games are being played at Doha currently and I was appalled to see the media coverage for it! An half hour Sports Show has 20 mins for cricket and 5 mins for Other Sports. Why So? Why don't we encourage other sports seriously? Why don't we get sponsors into it? Why don't we have more heroes like Paes, Bhupati, Mirza in Tennis; Jeev, Randhawa in Golf; Advani in Snooker/Billiards; Humpy, Anand in Chess; Nehwal in Badminton; Karthikeyan, Chandok in F1; Bhutia in Football; Anju George in Long Jump; Rathore, Rana in Shooting!! Why?

Hockey is supposedly our National Game - yeah we did see our performance in the recent World Cup... we finished 11th out of 12 teams. Same is the state of Football. And this situation is not from past few days, but for many many years now. Every year India does spend money into sports, where does it go? It's the politicians who head these Sports Bodies all over the country. Shall we blame them? Or we need a thorough introspection of the system in the country for searching and grooming such talent!?

India should learn from countries like China, who being as populous as India, perform far far better in "other sports" in Asian Games and Olympics. India will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 ... Can we do something to improve things by then? Any thoughts on this topic?

[target.ceo.mnc]

Originally Posted by Mahip

Asian Games are being played at Doha currently and I was appalled to see the media coverage for it? An half hour Sports Show has 20 mins for cricket and 5 mins for Other Sports. Why So? Why don't we encourage other sports seriously? Why don't we get sponsors into it? Why don't we have more heroes like Paes, Bhupati, Mirza in Tennis; Jeev, Randhawa in Golf; Advani in Snooker/Billiards; Humpy, Anand in Chess; Nehwal in Badminton; Karthikeyan, Chandok in F1; Bhutia in Football; Anju George in Long Jump; Rathore, Rana in Shooting!! Why?

Hockey is supposedly our National Game - yeah we did see our performance in the recent World Cup... we finished 11th out of 12 teams. Same is the state of Football. And this situation is not from past few days, but for many many years now. Every year India does spend money into sports, where does it go? It's the politicians who head these Sports Bodies all over the country. Shall we blame them? Or we need a thorough introspection of the system in the country for searching and grooming such talent!?

India should learn from countries like China, who being as populous as India, perform far far better in "other sports" in Asian Games and Olympics. India will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 ... Can we do something to improve things by them? Any thoughts on this topic?

way back in 1970s, china baared itself from taking part in olympics due to bad performance,but after 8 years they returned with a bang and finished second in the medal tally.the idea was to "catch 'em young".they selected budding talent and then all these budding players were given rigorous training for 8 years and rest they say is history........ the problem is not with politicians only ,it is with coaches also.frankly speaking ,not even 1% of the coaches deserve the position they hold.if some guru greg deserves the position then he starts experimenting what he had in his mind since he first played his first match.i think selection committees should be renamed as reflection committees as they merely reflect the desicions taken by politicians that whom to include in the squad and whom to not.media has also played a spoilsport,whenever a new player gives a good performance ,u can easily find him toiling on the TV but on the ground.just see our wicket keeper,he is selling each and everything ranging from garments,suit lengths,petrol.biscuits,home loans but not doing what is required as a player.one more thing,when somebody wants to"catch them young" he is targetted and harassed and that aspiring star is not allowed to flourish(budhiya and biranchi das case)
kuchh nahin ho sakta bhai ,kuchh nahin badlega (i m not trying to be nana patekar or cast of rang de basanti but reality stands...........)

[Mahip]

Originally Posted by target.ceo.mnc

way back in 1970s, china baared itself from taking part in olympics due to bad performance,but after 8 years they returned with a bang and finished second in the medal tally.the idea was to "catch 'em young".they selected budding talent and then all these budding players were given rigorous training for 8 years and rest they say is history........ the problem is not with politicians only ,it is with coaches also.frankly speaking ,not even 1% of the coaches deserve the position they hold.if some guru greg deserves the position then he starts experimenting what he had in his mind since he first played his first match.i think selection committees should be renamed as reflection committees as they merely reflect the desicions taken by politicians that whom to include in the squad and whom to not.media has also played a spoilsport,whenever a new player gives a good performance ,u can easily find him toiling on the TV but on the ground.just see our wicket keeper,he is selling each and everything ranging from garments,suit lengths,petrol.biscuits,home loans but not doing what is required as a player.one more thing,when somebody wants to"catch them young" he is targetted and harassed and that aspiring star is not allowed to flourish(budhiya and biranchi das case)
kuchh nahin ho sakta bhai ,kuchh nahin badlega (i m not trying to be nana patekar or cast of rang de basanti but reality stands...........)

So what is the solution? India should also take a self-imposed ban like China and search for talent? "The Chalta Hai" Attitude is the main culprit here, these folks wake up just before the games and send a contingent which stands nowhere near the level of any country.

"Chalta Hai", "Chalta Hai".. but till when? "Chalte Chalte" this is going to get tired and die one day. When will we learn from our mistakes?

[anarchy]

hi,
As for the ongoing discussion over here, first of all the comparison with china is not justified...
here's something I picked up from People's Daily Online -- Home

Sports and exercises facilities in the urban areas are very active. There are currently 3,584 community-level sports organizations in China. These community groups have established centers for morning and evening exercises. The number of local residents taking part in these activities increases year after year. Individuals flock to gymnasiums, tennis courts, swimming pools, and golf courses and groups organize hiking trips in the suburbs, river rafting, or mountain climbing. Groups of exercisers are commonly seen in parks and open spaces in apartment compounds and along the busy urban streets. The physical qualities of the Chinese people have obviously been improved, and their average life expectancy now surpasses 70 years, giving China a boost on the longevity list of countries. A national standard for sports and exercises is practiced among teenagers. In recent years, more than 100 million students have met the standard each year, and over 500,000 schools practice the State standard. They send over 10,000 student athletes to all-levels of sports schools and provide a reserve force of more than 1,000 for national teams. There are currently 360,000 students in sports schools at all levels, which produce an annual group of 100,000 trained athletes each year.
Enormous attention is also paid to sports and exercise in the countryside and the autonomous ethnic areas. Some 468 counties have been selected as doing excellent work in this regard, making up 21 percent of the total number of counties in China. The recognition of such counties has enhanced the drive to foster educational and coaching staffs in these areas. Some 532 sports facilities have been constructed at the county level since the program was initiated. Rural sports associations have sprung up throughout the countryside, and nearly 50 percent of the rural villages and towns have at least a part-time sport and exercise director among the government cadre. The sporting events organized in the areas that include large concentrations of the minority populations include traditional events. For instance, the Gaoshans enjoy a traditional sport known as rod ball. The Bai ethnic minority participate in a sport that involves jumping over flowerpots. The Lagu compete in top spinning. The Miao excel in a traditional style of archery. The Manchu spin tops on ice. The Oroqen take part in harness racing. The Dongs compete for firecrackers. And on the Tibetan Plateau, known as the Roof of the World and home to several ethnic groups, locals enjoy horseracing, riding, and yak racing. Traditionally, each July, August and September and on holidays, each county in the Tibet Autonomous Region will hold sports competitions in these events. The traditional sports of Wushu, Qigong, and Chinese-style wrestling have also entered a renaissance and have attracted many international fans, who have come to China to study.

now with this kind of enthusiasm showed by the state, the reasons for their excellence are pretty evident. Now I am sure, if even 10% of this kind of motivation would have been shown by our own Sports Minister, we would have done as well, if not better.


Another point to consider is, The chinese economy is pretty solid.. though not top notch, the concept of "doing what's right" has been grilled into them for a long time. So you can take whichever field you want, they put their most sincere effort into the thing and hence, the "chalta hai attitude" (as said by Mahip) doesn't creep in...


Now, with this kind of data in hand, I don't think tis very hard to think why our condition is so bad.. because now we know what is required to be top notch!!!

[murty001]

It is true that in half an hour sports news we have 25 mins of cricket and 5 mins for other sports. But news channels just give the people what they want. All we talk about is cricket. How many times have you seen people in a group discussing about tennis or hockey or Indian football? The channels only reflect the taste of the people.

Cricket naturally gets all the attention because it is more lucrative. All the money is there. No other sports gets such funding in India. Every other kid dreams of being a Tendulkar but not a Vishwanathan Anand or Dhanraj Pillay. And just in case anyone does manage to do well initially in any other sport, by the time he/she reaches the world stage , realises that he is hopelessly short of funds. Nobody is willing to sponsor a player who does well in a sport other than cricket. Take the case of Karthikeyan itself. He had to struggle so much to find himself a sponsor. The hockey team has to struggle hard to find a sponsor while people queue up and fight for the sponsorship rights of the cricket team.

So does it mean that if other sports are funded properly we will start winning? That would be so easy, if the amount of funding was directly proportional to the number of medals you win in olympics. But sadly that is not the case. Funds are not the only solution. You need dedication to do well in any field. What differentiates us from other countries is the amount of dedication the other teams have, which we sadly lack. We talk big, they achieve big. That makes the difference. Like someone mentioned how China barred itself from the Olympics and then came back well and strong. That speaks volumes about their dedication. And the best example I can give is of the Australian cricket team when they t oured India last. I think everyone knows well enough how they prepared themselves. That is the level of dedication which is needed.

And one crucial step that is needed in every sport is the need to 'professionalise' the boards. Do away with all the so called 'honorary' positions and hold each and every person accountable. The word 'honorary' in the Indian context seems to carry a completely different meaning altogether. If people are not held accountable they simply won't deliver the results. And that is true in every field..not only sports. Each and every paisa should be accounted for..only then would we know where all the funds are going.

And finally I think if we are focused enough there is nothing that we could not achieve. There is no lack of talent in the country. Certainly there cannot be in a country of 1 billion. All that is needed is proper focus and dedication- and we shall attain the glorious heights.

[gabriel666]

well as long as the boards of various sports are controlled by a bunch of dimwits we are going to be at the bottom of the medal tally of most sports..... the fact that jaspal rana was close to tears describing the way he was treated says it all, the amount of respect we have for sports and for the players of these sports ... the reason that cricket is more popular than our national sport hockey is because the cricket team does not suck as much as the hockey team does though our pampered lot of cricketers are doing their best to get there ... though football is popular in some parts of india like kerala and bengal we stand somewhere between atlantis and bihar in the fifa rankings... blame it all on the lack of infrastructure and the short and stocky bengali babu who thinks it his birth right to be the president of indian football federation.... so without wasting any time i think we should declare Kho-Kho as our national sport, or even better why dont we make guli danda our national sport we atleast wont have to face any competition .. and thereby be the best at it

[live_n_let_live99]

@Mahip...


Is Neena aware of this thread? ...My best bet is that, she doesnt ...Coz she is 1 person I know who can single handedly post 25 times out here ...Okk, v arent supposed to inform every1 personally abt thread openings , but yaar, I feel........Anyways, hope ki mera popat na hove...Malum hua ki Madam's already seen this (thread) and given it a skip...

Where art thou Maitrayee ???

[neena_772]

It is quite amazing to see India’s success in the recently ongoing Asian Games in Doha, while our Indian Cricket team gets battered and thrashed by South Africa. The sad part is the coverage of such achievements is about minimal or negligible in Indian Media. Lack of proper incentives, lack of sponsor to athletes is a main concern.

I would say the problem lies in the lack of proper infrastructure when it comes to the Sports other than cricket. The commonwealth games are going to be held in New Delhi in 2010, but has anyone heard about any ongoing preparation about the event? About the Government’s initiatives regarding the building of stadiums and other infrastructure needed to host the event? I fear that by the time 2008/09 comes there will be reports that we are behind schedule which would further paint a sorry figure of our country.


The media needs to play a very important role, because we need to create a national consciousness when it comes sports other than cricket. People follow cricket players and keep track of their performance. While in case of athletes and sportspersons (in other sports), people are just unaware of them. Even if they can recall their names, they don’t know anything about their performance at a particular time.

It is really disturbing to see that India, being such a hugely populated country is just a single-sport nation.
We ourselves take interest in Tennis, Formula 1, Football, Golf etc. So, we should urge on these sportspersons who are representing us in various events and are succeeding. A collective effort is needed. The government needs to spend in establishing proper infrastructure, the media needs to cover these events and we need to be aware of India’s sporting achievements in other sports. That would bring in the sponsors and thus would help in India becoming a true sporting nation.


@ Brij tumne naam liya, aur hum aa gaye

I saw this thread yesterday only, but couldn't post due to time constraints

[razabpn]

Do we really need to excel in everything???? Core Competency Theory is better applied to India. We know we are not good in everything. Our forte is Cricket and we are fast losing it. Better we should concentrate on Cricket. And be the world champions in this sports. We have a good infrastructure and experts also. Childrens are gifted bat and ball to play cricket in their childhood. Lets give them expert exposure also. may be at school and give scholarship to pursue a career in cricket. Lets be no 1 in cricket and then we can think of other sports.

[anarchy]

Originally Posted by razabpn

Do we really need to excel in everything???? Core Competency Theory is better applied to India. We know we are not good in everything. Our forte is Cricket and we are fast losing it. Better we should concentrate on Cricket. And be the world champions in this sports. We have a good infrastructure and experts also. Childrens are gifted bat and ball to play cricket in their childhood. Lets give them expert exposure also. may be at school and give scholarship to pursue a career in cricket. Lets be no 1 in cricket and then we can think of other sports.

I'll disagree to that dude....
Rana,Anju george, Sania (to an extent), Vishwanathan Anand n Humpy etc etc, they are world class athletes...
now why the hell are there there only so few that we can count them on our fingers???
also, we have a population of 1 billion (almost as much as china), how many do you think are needed to make one good cricket team...
if we can't make a good team with, lets say, 50 million cricket players what makes you think we will be able to do so by including all the athletes...

another small example.. Consider gymnastics.. The age reqd to represent the country is really less.. and its also achievable as people are more flexible when younger.. if we manage to encourage the youngsters (the policy of china, again...) then can you imagine the kind of heights we could achieve given the huge amt of talent (at least in the form of determination) we have???

see.. I am an avid cricket fan.. but it really pains me that there's only one sport I wanna watch on TV in which India has a decent chance of winning...
I agree, we have to go a long way if we have to scale heights.. but gr8 journeys begin with a single step.. and its high time we took the first step!!!