The Unsporting World of Sports

Olympics 2024 has been dramatic for India to say the least. The games this year also gave us a peek into the dirty picture of our world of sports, and the filthy people controlling it. These include politicians, the clingy and freeloading ‘babus’, and of course our uncaring government.

Sadly, we are not a sporting nation, unless it is cricket of course. The opportunities are less, no adequate coaches, under equipped coaching centres, lack of infrastructure and funds, indifference and a lethargic approach by government agencies to name a few.

Despite the fact that we as a nation have a huge pool of talented sportspersons in every nook and corner of the country, we are unable to produce as many world-class sportspersons as we should be doing. Isn’t that strange, and equally disheartening too?

The opportunities are so few and far between for those excelling in various games and regrettably, dirty politics has made its way here as well. Unfortunately, real talent suffers thanks to no institutional or financial support.

For women, there is the added problem of facing harassment of various types from perverts within the federation, being sexually harassed, being shunned, to being objectified and facing sexual innuendos, and also being discriminated against at various levels.

Over the years I had only read and heard about the pitiable condition of the ugly world of Indian sports but after having had a child compete at an All-India level, I was shocked to see the palpable pathetic conditions our children are made to go through and suffer.

Bureaucratic red tape and inferior infrastructure made practice in any form a tough situation. Lack of basic amenities like clean water and rudimentary facilities like clean toilets/changing rooms were missing.

Most parents, who support their children taking up sports as a profession, face unending hurdles. They spend more time and energy in running around completing formalities than concentrating in training their wards.

Coughing up pots of money is another matter altogether. How does one finance the sportsperson if you come from a humble background?

There have been instances of sportspersons being offloaded, equipment being damaged/lost, or even worse reaching the said destination after the sporting event is over. Our para-athletes have faced apathy at every corner and their voices have turned hoarse trying to bring attention to the difficulties they face.

Isn’t it obvious that the problem lies with the management of sports and not the athletes? One really has to salute the spirit of the Indian sportsperson, who succeeds despite the odds and the hurdles thrown at them.

What irks me is that why should sports only be for the affluent and powerful instead of being available for the talented ones? After all, it is the skill that is going to bring laurels to our country.

The sport federations must be made more professional and accountable before we see it becoming result-orientated. One has to do away with political clout and political leaders running the institutions and have actual renowned sportspersons who would be able to get down to the grass root level of tackling issues.

The government has to step in and make a concerted effort to give our players the dignity they deserve as well as backing and assistance. Even though sports of any nature are all about those unbelievable moments where the desire and sheer will power overcomes all the odds.

But, to get there and do that our sportspersons must also get the best possible chance of playing to their potential by providing them with all the assistance they need. This is when all the hard work and perseverance reaches those defining moments.

There is no doubt that our cricket-obsessed nation turns its blinkers on when it comes to other sports, including hockey, which is supposedly our national game. But yes, more often than not you read and hear the woes of the sportsmen/women facing a host of challenges when they are doing their best to hone on to their talents and trying to reach their peak.

The Olympics this year has exposed to the world the dark underbelly of India’s sporting world. It has opened up a can of worms that needs to be dealt with firmly. Our country has patronised the likes of filth and in return expected a windfall of medals.

We came home with six medals, just six from a population of 1.5 billion people. One needs to seriously study how everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong this time. There are lessons to learn for the high and mighty and gigantic improvements to be made in the world of sports.

Kudos to our medallists who overcame all odds to reach the pinnacle – Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, Swapnil Kusale, Neeraj Chopra, Aman Sehrawat and our Hockey Team. Thank you for keeping our flag flying high.

I doff my hat to Vinesh Phogat – a fighter in the truest sense who had the guts to take on the system and inspire billions of people with her grit and determination. She kept her ‘izzat’ at all times and that is far greater than any medal today! Her story will always be remembered for generations to come. A testament to true inspiration and courage.

A few key takeaways and lessons to heed: Keep all the politicians out of sports. Leave sports to the professionals. Invest in our sportspersons in a beneficial way!