Editorial: Can sportspeople afford a medal?

A youngster from a small town like Panipat, who had an unlikely introduction to sports, who worked tirelessly against all odds, and bagged the gold medal at the Asiad, the Commonwealth Games, and at the Olympics.

Innate talent aside, Chopra did not come from a wealthy family that could have poured in heavy-duty investments needed to build an Olympian from scratch. His joint family collectively owned eight acres of farmland in Khandra village and had planned on reconstructing an ancestral house. But instead, his kin directed their funds to help Chopra realise his potential. It’s a narrative seen across India, a nation with a million stars in the making who slip under the radar sans adequate funding and infrastructure.

Consider Chopra’s predecessor Bindra, who hails from an affluent family. His father helmed an agro-food business and built a world class shooting range for his son at their home. Bindra was also aware of the quality of sporting infrastructure in India back then, owing to which he often travelled to Germany to train with the best. He was also backed by behemoths like Mittal Champions Trust, set up by ArcelorMittal chief Lakshmi Mittal. Obviously, influence has a lot to do with such backing. This narrative needs to change in 2021. If India expects its athletes to bring home gold medals by the dozens, proactive infrastructural, monetary and people-centric measures are a must, to help scout for the best talent, and to keep them in the game for the next few decades. We are not looking at youngsters as a goldmine of medals, like how China has, with its industrial precision of minting champions by the year. But we could borrow a leaf from their books on the investment front. Countries like the US, UK and China are big spenders in sports infrastructure. The Indian government’s per day per capita expenditure on sports comes to a measly 3 paise. Compare this to Beijing which coughs up an equivalent of Rs 6.10 per day per capita.

The government spend on sports infrastructure is a major concern for India. This year, our sport budget was slashed by Rs 230 cr. But the quantum of resources dedicated towards sports is on an upswing, and so is the quality of infrastructure. Here in Tamil Nadu, the state government has decided to set up a sports village with four Olympic academies in Chennai, to enhance the performance of athletes in the State. The decision was arrived at after a meeting of sports officials with CM MK Stalin. Traditional Silambam training will also be provided to local sportspersons as part of this programme.

The public private partnership model is gradually gathering steam, and corporates are also launching several academies as part of their CSR directed to sporting initiatives. The Tokyo Olympics should offer a fertile breeding ground for the rise of integrated sports management companies who can flex their muscles to build a successful business model, and contribute to India’s tournament tally. Inspired by the likes of sporting leagues IPL and ISL, there is scope to extend the ambit of leagues to other sports. There is also a need to overhaul our approach to sports right from the schooling years. Rather than considering sports as an add-on or even an afterthought, school administrations must consider making substantial investments in basic facilities such as playgrounds, coaches and creating a conducive environment to nurture those with the talent and the go-getter spirit and turning them into champions of tomorrow.