What Can India Learn From Tokyo Olympics?

Namaste,

There's a festival going around since 20 days. No, it's not a local festival, but a global one. Yes, its the olympics - Tokyo Olympics. This is a multi-sport international event, hosted turn-by-turn globally every 4 years.

Talking about India in Tokyo Olympics, there are overall a total of 135 athelets representing India in 18 different sports out there in Tokyo. Medal-wise, India currently stands in 63rd position with a bronze medal of shuttler PV Sindu and a silver medal of the weightlifter Mirabai Chanu. In the same achievement list, the country with most medals after more than 2 weeks of the beginning of olymics is China. Currently China in total has won 68 medals consisting 32 gold, 20 silver and 16 bronze. To mention again, India currently in total has won 2 medals - 1 bronze, 1 silver. At most India is expected to get 15 more medals looking at the current situation. 

Now, enough of this tiring data. The reason we've met today is to discuss how come India improve itself in sports. You may think its already excellent. But my friend, there are many many sports out there except cricket and kabbadi. Thus, today we will specifically talk about what India can learn from Tokyo Olympics.

The Wire reports, " In 2019, about 26.62% of the Indian population fell into the 0-14 years category, which translates to about 340 million. These large numbers of young people, while very exciting for the potential growth of a country, can also be worrying for the planners of a developing country like India. The young population needs to be provided with healthcare, education and opportunities for a meaningful livelihood."

We see that the olympics, the world sports race, demands athelets from such a country that has a versatile interest in overall sports. For instance, India is very well known for its cricket. But when it comes to football, baseball, softball, shotput, handball, golf etc; very little do we know about them. Tell me, in India do we give the same importance to javeline throw, parallel bars, diving, beach volleyball as cricket?

 Now you may cry, "But do you know how much corruption the politicians do? They eat all the money and does not encourage these sports." You are correct, but partially. They do sometimes eat all the money and indulge in corruption but we too, as an audience, fail to appreciate all the sports as keenly as cricket. Politicians and entrepreneurs know only business, only money, lets assume. But how shall they get money? By earning through us, the audience. Our own viewership, our own interest is the foremost thing needed to have India being best in every sport. This is the answer we get.

You know, I hated chess. But in lockdown period, I got to know about some fantastic chess streamers on YouTube. One of them is a comedian cum chess streamer, Samay Raina. What he did is that through his YouTube Channel, he called up and invited all the international chess players to his stream and played funny games and stuff with them. The way he presented chess was amazing. He even promoted Indian Chess by promoting Sagar Shah, the founder of Chessbase India. What to talk of Sagar Shah. He is literally the Modern Pioneer of Indian Chess! Through these two figures I got to know how funny and interesting chess players are. Through them I got to know the grandeur of chess.

This is the only method to encourage other games in India. Taking interest in vivid sports will encourage future generations to pursue those sports as careers. Let me provide you a perspective that how magnimous will India be impacted by this. What impact will versitiliin sports make?

The more the interest, the more upcoming sports stars. The more sports stars, the more chances of the sport to be a success in India and generate revenue through viewership and sponsership. Every sport requires specific professional gears and equipments. The more sports India will play, the more will be these Indian companies working behind those sports, generating money and employment. In a cricket match, we not only see the two teams playing. Behind those 22 players are 22 cricket kits. Behind that stadium are the coaches, the commentators, the TV and media staff, company advertisements on their jerseys, the stadium managers, the small small companies providing the players food and nutrition, we also have those hotels in which the players stay, we also have a huge support staff to pull off that one single match. Think how greatly the economy is impacted by sports. Crores and crores can be earned in IPL matches. With the same interest in other sports, think where we will reach. 

According to the World Sports Encyclopedia (2003), there are 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games. India practicing atleast 80 of them will prove a success for us. See China. It is known as athelete machine. China knows the money and math behind the importance of sports. It pays attention to every sport, not only because to win medals, but also to maintain itself as a superpower and have a gigantic economy.

This was the whole economic aspect and sentimental aspect behind sports. This is the thing India needs to learn from Tokyo Olympics. Let us not expect medals from our struggling sports players if we do not even care to learn about the sport and appreciate it.

Thanks,

Daksh Parekh.