What India should do to become a sporting superpower

Winds of change gather pace as India ascends in the global sports ecosystem. The legendary PT Usha is the first sportsperson to become the Chief of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in independent India’s history, as well as the first woman ever to hold this post. She is flanked by several olympians in the IOA and the first full fledged athletes commission. For the first time, a dozen of India’s sporting best will now be part of the movement to carve out a fresh path of glory for India’s sportspersons.

I admit that while we are full of enthusiasm and ideas, the task will not be easy. But this is where the opportunity lies. The current group of experts in the athletes’ commission are bringing with them diverse knowledge and an in-depth understanding about the reality on ground. Now our role is to bridge the gap between what is envisioned on paper and what is really needed on ground.

There is no dearth of sporting talent. So, winning medals will be a default consequence if we relentlessly work towards changing the mindset, building infrastructure and ensuring accessibility. As key stakeholders, governments have the job of writing policies and guiding sport bodies on how to design visionary strategies. But neither side can utilize a nation’s true sporting potential without the support of the private sector.

To usher in a sporting culture in a country of a billion and half, the private sector will need to pitch in right from grassroots. Programmes at this level, assist in getting the community active and learn the basics of a sport.

Apart from acting as a talent pool, these programs work towards instilling values which can be learned by playing a particular sport. At the school level itself, more tournaments would lead to exposure and help us scout for talent at a young age.

I know the battles I had to fight and the sacrifices my family had to make as a female athlete. Most Indian athletes during my time made do with whatever supporting essentials we needed to perform and available to us, whether it was diet, training, equipment or infrastructure. But I would not want another child to miss out on becoming a champion because of the lack of healthy food. Today, there are hundreds of young girls in India who have the potential to be world class boxers but will fall short if they cannot afford the right resources.

We need more than just stadiums. We need academies, world class trainers, equipment and kits, dedicated subject matter experts in nutrition, strength, conditioning, sports science, and mental counseling among other resources. We need access to more domestic and international tournaments. We need to make it viable for every Indian to choose sports as a career if they wish to. In essence, we need to work towards creating and enabling the sports ecosystem and we need the private sector to become a key change-maker. This is not a new idea but with the change taking place slowly and gradually, this is the right time to capitalize on it.

While the government has introduced several key initiatives such as Khelo India program, Fit India movement, Target Olympic Podium scheme, among others, and they have yielded terrific results, there is still room to do more and this is where the private sector can join hands and fill the gap in India’s growth journey in sports.

For beginners, the National Sports Development Fund scheme is a good place to start by pitching in financially. For those willing to shoulder higher responsibility, direct association with sportspersons and an institutionalized model would be the way to go.

I see the difference we are able to bring when sports experts join hands with the private sector. My own boxing academy has found support in many private players – Dream Foundation, Tata Trusts, Goodyear India, Hero Group, Pernod Ricard and OGQ. The collaboration ‘DreamJab’ with Dream Foundation, is a unique one where 30 young athletes are being provided extensive training in boxing.

To build a strong sports ecosystem, we need a wave of private participation. The Tokyo Olympics has shown us what a good mix of science, financial support and consistent work can deliver.

Let’s roll with the punches and work together to bring this reality to life.

(The writer is on Olympian and Chairperson of Athletes Commission of the Indian Olympic Association)