New Delhi | Tarun Gupta: August 29 marks the birthdate of Major Dhyan Chand, one of India’s greatest sportsmen and the finest field hockey player the world has ever seen. Quite aptly this day is celebrated as national sports day. However, beyond the stereotypical ritualism, it will be appropriate if an ingenious appraisal of the state of sports were to be carried out on this day.
Sports have been an integral part of human culture and civilization. What may prima facie be perceived as a physical/mental contest actually embodies some of the most desirable attributes. It would be apt to refer to sports as an epitome of human excellence.
In a world where nepotism, bias, and prejudice seem to have besmirched every sphere of life, sports remain the truest and rarefied example of meritocracy.
As we speak in 2019, in a digital era, where the dominance of artificial intelligence and machine learning looms large, it is not uncommon to come across young parents who stress and fret that their children are playing more on play stations, computers and mobiles than on the playground. The natural benefits of playing an active sport have as much resonance today as at any other time. A sporting society is a fitter society, a healthier society and health and happiness are inextricably connected.
Our quest to be in the front rank of the leading nations of the world remains a work in progress. Despite our economic growth and military strength, the soft power that manifests in art, culture, sports can hardly be undermined and until we consistently deliver on these fronts, the journey from developing to developed remains incomplete.
Sports, as they say, have the power to transform the world, to break barriers and blur boundaries. Besides the obviously more imminent and pressing challenges, one of our crucial goals should perhaps be to foster a sporting culture; to transform India from a sports-watching to sports playing society, from participating to winning.
The importance of sports can hardly be overstated. As a nation, we have experienced moments to laud the performance of our cricketers, wrestlers, pugilists, shooters, athletes, badminton players, chess grandmasters. Nevertheless, the irony is that these successes are rare flourishes. It is undeniable that for the size of our economy and population, on global parameters, we punch well below our weight.
What is holding us back? There is certainly no dearth of talent. Physicality may have been a constraint in previous decades but with improving nutritional standards, it is less debilitating. However, when benchmarked with the first world, there does exist a chasm in sports infrastructure. The entire ambit of facilities from equipment, training grounds, coaching, competition, physical and mental conditioning, diet and so on, fall well short. Whatever government investments have gone in, they are restricted to a handful of locations in major sports centers. The trickle-down effect where facilities percolate to the lowest level in the smallest places hasn’t yet kicked in.
We know that in the highly competitive environment of international sports, talent will have to be identified and nurtured from a young age. The quandary for parents of 11/12-year-old prospective champions often is that only one in a million will actually succeed and what happens to the fate of others? If during their formative years, academics and skill development are compromised to focus exclusively in pursuit of excellence in a chosen sport and whether due to cutthroat competition or caprice the desired results elude them? Well, there are no easy answers albeit the socio-economic set up of the nation has to be such so as to offer a fall back to all the honest triers.
Also perhaps a mindset shift is essential. We need to foster a sporting culture in our society where everyone from the age of 5 to 65 is prompted, motivated to play a sport. A utilitarian approach alone may not bring about a transformation. One need not be a career sportsman. The health, happiness and recreation benefits of an active sport should be sufficient pluses to encourage a sporting environment.
There are no shortcuts to reaching the pinnacle. It is embarrassing that our national anti-doping agency (NADA) has been banned by world anti-doping agency (WADA). We haven’t done enough to cope with the doping menace. Sports tantamount to little unless played within the rules and in the right spirit. It might be important to win but it is imperative to uphold the values the game embodies. Play hard but fair, push the line/don’t cross it, these are not clichéd platitudes but aphorisms which have been the lodestar spreading the sporting culture. These are the reasons why we play a game or watch it. An act of foul play is not just cheating the opponents but belying the faith of millions of sports lovers who are emotionally invested.
Every year on 29th August, there is a clamor for the Bharat Ratna to be conferred on Major Dhyan Chand; a most deserving choice indeed for our highest civilian honor. Yet a more fitting tribute to the legend would be if our sporting success is commensurate to our potential.
A top 10 position in the 2028 Olympics, world cup football title in 2030, few grand slam singles champion in tennis, some golf majors. Distant yet desirable and attainable goals. They say it’s better to aim high and miss than aim low and hit. Khelo India, jeeto India.
(The article is an opinion piece by Tarun Gupta. The views expressed in the article are of the author and Jagran English does not take the responsibility of the views expressed here)
Posted By: Aalok Sensharma
