{"id":124731,"date":"2021-08-09T19:00:42","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T13:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=124731"},"modified":"2021-08-09T19:11:42","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T13:41:42","slug":"sports-sector-in-india-issues-and-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/sports-sector-in-india-issues-and-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports sector in India: Issues and challenges – Explained, Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Introduction<\/b><\/h5>\n

The conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 brought immense joy to the nation. India won its first gold medal in track and field events of the Olympics. A total of 7 medals were won, which marks India\u2019s best score at the Olympics. However, despite this, India finished 48th in the event. Whereas Japan, with a far less population, came 3rd on the leaderboard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, it shows that with the right guidance and hard work, it is not impossible for India to compete against countries like the US and China.\u00a0The government and the private sector should come forward to support the sportspersons and breed robust sports culture in India.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

India\u2019s Progression in Sports<\/b><\/h5>\n
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  1. The country has been winning more medals at international events. This time India won 7 medals (1 Gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze) at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The country was deemed as a medal contender in multiple sporting events.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. It is a major improvement in comparison to the last few decades when the country used to perform poorly at international levels.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. It must also be <\/span>acknowledged that government support for the sport has been increasing<\/b>. The government has launched many initiatives for the promotion of the sports sector in India.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Private sector involvement in the sport has increased. Furthermore, the rise of private academies that are involved in the development of sport at various levels is helping strengthen the facilities available to our sportspeople.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Corporations have come forward to support individual athletes with potential, showing a depth of commitment that was absent earlier.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Benefits of augmenting the Sports Sector<\/b><\/h5>\n

    Alternative careers<\/b>: For those for whom opportunities are few, and jobs are scarce, sport becomes a powerful mobility device. A strong sports sector encourages an average\/ poor academic student to make a career in sports.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Health advantages:<\/b> Sports induce an individual to keep his\/her body in the best form for winning an event. The existence of a sports culture in turn induces the masses to adopt a healthy lifestyle just like the sportspersons.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Channelization of Youth energy<\/b>: India is having a very young population and is soon going to become the world’s youngest country. In such a scenario, a robust sports sector can help in <\/span>reaping the potential demographic dividend<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tackling numerous societal problems<\/b>: Many women perceive sports as an opportunity to escape the confines of a highly regulated life. They use it as a tool to show their potential and <\/span>tackle the patriarchal mindset.\u00a0<\/b>Further success of sportspersons like<\/span> Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, <\/b>etc. have played a pivotal role in curbing the problems of child marriage and son meta preference.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Revenue generation<\/b>: Developing robust sports infrastructure in the country will allow India to host a greater number of international events. Such hosting boosts tourism in the country and results in enhancing the revenue and employment in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Promotes the spirit of Unity in Diversity<\/b>: People cheer for the Indian athletes and Indian teams at international events. An improvement in sports automatically fosters the spirit of brotherhood amongst the people of diverse nations.\u00a0<\/span>For instance, the Pan India support enjoyed by PV Sindhu enhances belongingness between India\u2019s north and south.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Issues associated with the Sports Sector<\/b><\/h5>\n

    Funding crunch<\/b>: Indian Government spends way less than China, the US, and other better-performing countries in international sporting events. This induces athletes to do private spending for arranging good quality equipment, training and travelling, thereby creating a very big hurdle for poor people.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Resource Deficit<\/b>: There is a dearth of good-quality sporting infrastructure available across the country. The government has developed some good stadiums in urban regions, but the situation is very poor in rural regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Attitudinal Barriers<\/b>: Sports is not considered a lucrative career option in our country. Parents encourage their children to become doctors and engineers rather than sportspeople. <\/span> This is reflected in the popular saying of Kheloge Kudoge hoge kharab; Padhoge Likhoge hoge nawab. It means sports will spoil your life, but academics will give you a king\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

    High-Performance Pressure<\/b>: A high degree of pressure is inflicted upon a sportsperson to perform or else be prepared to live a vulnerable life. This sometimes creates excessive mental stress in them or induces them to resort to unethical means like doping. For instance, Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav wasn\u2019t able to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics due to doping scandal.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Governance Issues<\/b><\/h6>\n

    Sports governance is marred with multiple issues –<\/span><\/p>\n