HAS INDIA ALWAYS HAD A STRONG SPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE

Sports has a huge role to play when it comes to nation-building and the same is evident from the following. It helps in elevating qualities like discipline, determination, teamwork and a passion for fitness in the psyche of a nation.

▪︎ India sure punches well below its weight when it comes to sports.

☆ At every Olympic Games, rivals China and Russia walk away with multiple gold medals. For fans in India one of the world's most populous nations and fastest growing economies the event is an exercise in despair.

☆ High poverty levels aren't a sufficient reason either, seeing as other countries with low levels of per-capita income, such as Kenya and Jamaica, consistently fare better.

☆ "India does not have a sports culture," explained Boria Majumdar, a leading Indian sports scholar who's authored numerous books on the topic. Indian athletes who have achieved international success are exceptions rather than products of the country's sports system, he said.

• "Unless there is a synergized sports culture you will never win a string of medals. A fundamental overhaul is needed and urgently so."

☆ India’s inefficient sporting federations, mostly helmed by bureaucrats and political appointees, are the stuff of legend. But over the past five years, a galaxy of up-and-coming stars like badminton player Saina Nehwal, boxer Vijender Singh and shooter Abhinav Bindra have defied the country’s creaking infrastructure, callousness and ill-preparedness to take small, but important steps toward putting India on the global sporting map.

☆ In a bid to transform a saying, which states ‘India is a sports-loving country rather than sports playing country’, there is still a long way to head towards getting more developed and flourishing sports infrastructure in India.

For sports to excel in any country, sports infrastructure plays a huge role. India houses approximately 100 sports facilities fulfilling international standards of sports infrastructure.

☆In addition, there are government-owned college and university grounds, community centres, sporting facilities and grounds owned by urban local bodies, Resident Welfare Associations and facilities owned by private entities . These facilities are largely neglected in terms of utilization and maintenance and many a times used for purposes other than sports.

HOW CAN SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE BE IMPROVED IN INDIA :

■ There should be adequate infrastructure, equipment and human resources in schools and colleges to guide and train students in sports.

■ Awareness of sports should be given to children and young people. Sports are not just for winning medals.

■ There is an immediate requirement of creating a sporting cult in every part of the country irrespective of states and districts.

■ The governments can take some handy initiative in order to enrich the Indian sports sector along with its infrastructure:

a. Graduating sports sector as an industry

b. Promotion of Sports sector education program

c. Monetary assistance to the sportsbased firms

d. Giving a boost to R & D in the sports sector

■ Some more key areas where Indian government needs to pay attention in order to strengthen indigenous sports infrastructure

▪︎ Schools .

▪︎ Colleges .

▪︎ Broadcast more sports .

▪︎ Get corporates in on the action .

☆"India needs to invest in the long term, not expecting miracles at the touch of a button,".