Change the game

The controversy surrounding the selection of the Indian contingent for the 2012 London Olympics again puts the spotlight on the need for a transparent sports policy with better governance

 

In India, where sporting facilities are available to a small part of population, focusing on medals and perceived success seems unfair. Simply because the pool of people available for sports is large, but they are hampered by absence of sporting infrastructure.

India may have won only three medals in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing–which by the way was the best tally for an Indian contingent in Olympic history – but it is nothing unique for a developing economy, where pressure on the facilities, not just sporting, is huge. The priorities are more inclined towards health, education, sanitation and basic amenities.

Yet, as India develops, so should its focus on sports. The fact that India has begun to achieve some success in sports other than cricket – a sport limited to a handful of nations – is a testimony to its growth in sports. Focus on sports is also an indication that the society is beginning to look at quality of life – again not to be confused with medals. Medals in any country are won by a small number of high achievers. It is the overall numbers of participants in sport that are a better indicator of the state of the country, economically and in terms of the level of development.....READMORE