Economic Highlights
New Delhi, 29 August, 2016
Olympic Fallout
INDIA MUST UNTIE PURSE STRINGS
By Shivaji Sarkar
India with the second highest population in
the world has been at the butt of ridicule for winning only two medals at the Rio
2016 Olympics. The poor score led to severe criticism of the sports officials
and all those responsible for the facilitation. None can find solace that no other
country in the Indian sub-continent won even a single medal.
Critics have had much to blame. There are countries that
have low population but have won higher number of medals or that there are
populous countries and still fared well. Why can’t India perform or why can’t it win a
gold medal? Countries like China
and Russia
have won higher number of medals. The US,
UK
and other European countries have bagged the largest chunk of the glory. Obviously,
overall these nations have created a culture of sports and health
consciousness.
Apparently, there is another connection in the number of gold
medals won by a country and its GDP. Thus, there is a difference in a $2
trillion Indian economy and a $12 trillion Chinese economy. China's
percentage of gold medals won is increasing, as is its share of the worldwide
GDP. The 10 nations with the highest GDP, including China,
US, UK and Russia, scooped
up almost 60 per cent of the Olympic gold medals. And, out of the four BRIC nations,
China and Russia
consistently have high medal counts.
Interestingly, Goldman Sachs recently published report states
that economic conditions are one of the factors that helps predict Olympic
success. This leads to speculation that countries with higher GDPs have more
money and energy to invest in sports and athletes, than the others. At the same
time, it is also true that mere economic wealth doesn’t help win a medal. The
West Asian countries with their petro dollars are the best examples. And sports
apart, they also have gender discrimination.
Olympics, all said and done, is a mix of cultures. While
statistics show wealth plays a part, it also requires a determined mindset. Neither
money nor a huge population can do the trick alone. It requires a mix of GDP,
health status, nutrition, culture of sports and a national consciousness to
participate and compete.
India has the last two ingredients. While
its people have the desire to participate and compete, the country lacks in social
and political climate to achieve results. Prime Minister Modi wants the nation
to start preparing for 2020. Is it practical? We will need to go beyond and try
at least to create a climate of preparation for next 12 years, i.e. three
Olympic Games.
Unmistakably, the thrust has to be reaching out to the young
and creating a large pool of talent nationwide. They must then be supported
socially and economically, perhaps through corporate social responsibility
(CSR) and of course officially through Government institutions.
It goes without saying that large investment is needed. I
recall a friend telling me that he was keen to arrange coaching for his son at
a sports facility but couldn’t do so as he neither had the means, nor was the
facility available close to his residence. Thirty years later, his son is
facing the same problem. He can’t arrange coaching for his son as nothing seems
to have changed.
Where are the coaching academies? How many States can boast
of providing sports facilities for the young and earmarking funds? Neither is talent tapped nor is it provided
opportunities to thrive. The approach to games has to change. Sports facilities
must be made available in every locality, new or old, or at least at a decent
reachable distance. This aspect has been debated since long, but there has been
no movement forward. Is there any policy on these lines? Schools and colleges
are steeped in the race for high academic percentage that at best they only pay
lip-service to the games. When will this attitude change?
Catchy political slogans can change the mood of the nation.
How about ‘creating sports talent in every locality’ as a slogan in the
forthcoming UP elections? Or in the other States which go to the polls next
year. Perhaps, it would bring about the much-needed awareness if not the votes.
There is also need to scrutinize the funds earmarked for
Sports and mega events such as the Olympics. Given the investment made, did we
fare better than expected? Sports minister Vijai Goel told the Rajya Sabha on
July 26, 2016 that his Ministry spent Rs 49.2 crore ($7 billion) on Rio
athletes. This includes Rs 25 crore under Target Olympics Podium (TOP). This
apart, another Rs 4.92 crore ($7 million) was spent on 67 sports federations
since 2012. As against this figure, the UK
spent $350 million for Rio, Australia $340 and Canada $139 million!
Add to this the fact that while Indian gymnast Deepa
Karmakar, received Rs 2 lakh under the TOP scheme, the UK gymnasts got $14.6
million to build 1300 gymnastics club and won seven medals at Rio. It has been estimated that each medal the
UK won in 2012 cost £4.5million.
A country that spends less does lot more politicking. Its
officials don’t give a damn about the needs of sportspersons, who are neither
treated with respect nor given necessary facilities. Sports in India cannot
remain the preserve of only a few departments such as Defence, Railways, or PSUs
like ONGC. The fire to have world-class sportspersons has to engulf the States,
universities, institutions and even municipal wards. But for a nation mired in poverty,
poor health care services, unemployment and not a very high growth, it is not an
easy target to accomplish.
Finances are a spoilsport. But the Centre along with the
States can share responsibility in creating a sports culture. Each State can
promote one particular game. It has to look at both large and small business,
more in the private sector, to extend necessary support to elevate sports
facilities. Winds of change can start blowing. Like we have seen the girls
leaving the men far behind.
Fortunately, India
has established that it doesn’t have gender discrimination in sports. Be it
athletes or gymnasts, girls have taken the lead, and the first credit must go
to their families. The nation must take a cue and invest in its
sportspersons—both time and money. Rio should
be seen as a beginning for the nation and its leaders to aim for glory at the
Games.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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