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Why India is not performing well in sports?

In India, the status of sports is not good. The question arises: Why India is not performing well in sports? If we keep cricket aside, India’s performance in other sports is not up to par. The Olympics are the largest sporting event in the world. The standings of any country can be accessed at the Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, India won seven medals. Although it was so far the best performance of India, with a country of more than 1 billion people, this can be considered a good performance. Even small countries like Norway, Finland, and South Korea perform far better than India. On the other hand, China is continuously topping the medal tally.

Reasons for poor performance in sports:

First of all, there is a lack of sports infrastructure. In our country, stadiums and playgrounds are hardly found. Even if it is available, it is not properly maintained.
Another reason is the lack of job security for the sportsperson. Players and their parents are generally uncertain about their future. We read a lot of news about how a national or international player sells tea or vegetables on street corners.
In our country, the sports body is under the thumb of politicians. Those who played a single match are members of governing sports bodies. How will they be able to understand the problems of a sportsperson?
The ex-sportspersons who have achieved big names do not participate in the development of that sport.
The quotation “Kheloge kudoge bangoge Kharab.” is still famous in our country. Even today, families are hesitant to support sports as a career. They want a safe option for their children.

Cricket is also becoming a reason why other sports are not developing. The public only wants to watch cricket, and the media generally cover cricket news. As a result, cricketers can easily obtain sponsorship. In every sport, a sportsman works very hard to play internationally and represent the country. But they don’t get recognition.
In India, there is a lack of sports culture. Schools also don’t pay attention to this area. Generally, we can find that every school has every teacher except a sports teacher. It has all the facilities except the playground. This is a reason why even kids with talent avoid sports.

Recent steps taken by the government:

In 2016, the government launched the “Khelo India” programme at the school and university levels to catch talented youth. This programme selects talented athletes and provides them with scholarships.
Now the government is providing the best coaches for the upcoming sports event.
As per the demands of the athletes, the government is ready to send them to their chosen country for training.

What else needs to be done?

Provide financial support for retired players.
The selection process for players and board members needs more transparency.
Sports’ governing bodies’ heads will be former athletes. It will create job opportunities for retired athletes.
Every sport should get an equal promotion. Even a small victory boosts the confidence of the players.
There is a need to create awareness in society about the need to change the mindset towards sports.

Conclusion: Why India is not performing well in sports

With the recent achievements in many sports in India, sports have gained more importance than before. The introduction of a league for different sports shows that India’s focus on sports other than cricket has improved. In the coming days, sports will create more job opportunities and contribute to the Indian economy as well.
Although sports in India is improving, we still have a long way to go to get medals in proportion to our population.