My dream for India at 100: A chance at excellence for every athlete

Source– The post is based on the article “My dream for India at 100: A chance at excellence for every athlete” published in The Indian Express on 29h November 2022.

Syllabus: GS2- Government policies and interventions in various sectors

Relevance– Sports sector

News– The article explains the steps needed to be taken for development of sports.

What should be done by the government for the development of sports?

The aim should not be just medals, India needs to develop athletes who can perform at will.

India is 10 years behind every major country, in terms of sports science. It has only recently started looking at coaches’ training programmes, and own data collection, analysis and research. Now, the focus must be on quality.

In team sports like hockey and cricket, there should be parity between men and women.

We should capitalise on traditional hubs in boxing and wrestling, but must provide young people with more options. Sponsorship, infrastructure and sports programs at universities like in the US, are needed.

We need urban kids to play sports and aspire to be elite athletes.

More opportunities and facilities like travelling abroad, performing in a different set-up, and different food and language should be made available to all athletes irrespective of their backgrounds.