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Olympic Fallout: INDIA MUST UNTIE PURSE STRINGS, By Shivaji Sarkar, 29 August, 2016 Print E-mail

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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