The Indian Society And The Struggle Of Our Sports Fraternity

India, the world’s second-most populous nation, fails to show its dominance in sports. In fact, India's performance remains terrible except in few games. So, what's holding India back when it comes to competing in world sporting events like the Olympics?

First, it's the conservative Indian mindset of the Indian society. You might be aware of the saying in India “Padhoge likhoge banoge Nawab, kheloge kudoge banoge kharab” which translates to “You can be a king if you study, can be spoilt if you play games.” Social life of a person who took the plunge of making a career in sports in India can be challenging and demotivating. An Indian parents or teachers, being part of the society, don't consider sports as a career. They have the biggest influence in a child's future ambitions. They may scold the child that “playing a sport will get you nowhere in life, but to make a life you need to be good in academics”. In other words, young Indians are discouraged from playing sports, let alone allowing them to make a career in sports.

Sports people in India often struggle in academics. Sometimes it becomes impossible to make a balance between studies and sports. It is absolutely fine if a sportsperson doesn't perform well in academics. It shouldn't even be a matter of concern if he/she fails in academics. Human mind cannot excel everywhere. The poor performance of a sports enthusiast indicates his/her focus and devotion to something else. The teachers and parents should identify those talents and encourage them to take a career in that direction instead of demotivating them.

The financial conditions also influence one's choice because it needs quite lot of time and money to continue one's training. While the reward and glory comes back only after success. But there is a long road to travel which also needs financial stability besides strength and endurance to keep going. The road can be frightening as it is full of potholes and speed-brakers which sometimes seems to be taking nowhere.

Health is another factor which must be taken into account seriously. Rigorous training do create stress on the muscles and liable to cause injury. Severe injury can make players unfit for the games. Being ousted from the very game you devote your life to can be mentally disturbing. Diet and nutrition is another important health aspect. That's why we do not often see repetition of the previous sportsperson in the next game held four years later. Health issues can make all the training go in vain.

Making a career in sports comes with a risk and nobody wants to take the risk of banking on an unsure or unstable future. One only gets resources after selection at the national level. The government can mitigate risks, if not completely remove it, by providing necessary support which restrict our athletes from excelling.

India does have a vibrant sporting culture and enthusiasts. It is only that the potential of our athletes remains untapped. Government policies should encourage our sports prodigies across the country to dream for the Olympics and eye for gold.

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