Why Isn't India A Force To Reckon With At The Olympics

India, considered as a sleeping giant in the world of sports by many, is yet to wake up. Being the second largest population and 3rd largest economy in terms of GDP, the number of medalists are not that high. From the very past India had a rich culture of spots and games. It was an integral part of our life. So why isn’t India producing medalists in tournaments like Olympics?

Just to clear some doubts, Indians do not completely lack athletic skills. Our Cricket, Hockey and Kabaddi teams are one the best in the world. We have some very fine athletes among us and are recognized on the world stage. However, here we are talking more about individual sports played at the Olympic level like swimming, athletics and several other sports.

Let’s look at some reasons which might be holding back the sleeping giant.

1. LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE

It’s the biggest reason for the current state of sports in the country. Schools and colleges lack basic infrastructure for sports. Someone talented at a particular sport, might not be able to pursue further because of lack of infrastructure at the grassroots level. Sports and Indian education system are not integrated. Sports has always been seen as a leisure activity rather than something serious. Even if there is proper infrastructure, coaches are not of that caliber.

2. POVERTY

Poverty in India is huge and widespread. Several families in the country are not able to support their child’s career in sports even if they want to. Those talented young kids are not discovered because they stopped showing interest in the sport just because poverty shows a bleak picture ahead. If someone continues to play even after the financial restrictions they face, at some point most of them are made to choose between sports or sustaining their family.

3. CRICKET

Cricket in India has been lucrative from a very long time. Everyone wants earn those big bucks and fame. But due to so much competition in cricket, not everyone makes their dreams come true. Due to too much popularity of cricket among Indian masses other sports are neglected. Just for example Yuvraj Singh was forced to leave skating and pursue cricket by his father himself. He might be an exception to the case because of his success on the cricket field but not everyone’s story can be like that of Yuvraj Singh.

4. CORRUPTION

Corruption and India are like two love birds. Can’t be separated. Corruption is there in every sports organization present there in India, more among the major sports like cricket, hockey which involve huge amounts of money. Administrators are more concerned about their personal interest rather than development of the particular sport. These organizations are influenced by politics from within and from outside also. Funds meant for the athletes are diverted to personal bank accounts of politicians and administrators of the game.

It’s not like the sports ecosystem is not changing. Initiative like Khelo India School Games are a great step ahead. If India continues to support its grassroots level like this consistently, then we are just a decade away from becoming a great sporting nation.