Saturday, August 16, 2008

Too poor to win?

India is too poor a country to pour resources into sports. We are so liberal that we can't do what the Chinese are doing, or the East Europeans did before them... These were also the kinds of excuses that used to be trotted out to justify the 'Hindu' rate of economic growth at one time. With political will and leadership, India need not be such an under-achiever in sports, even without having to resort to draconian methods. And it's more about professional administration than resources alone. Just look at cricket, where we have by far the richest board in the world but lose to tiny Sri Lanka, anyway. I think the real problem is a lack of appreciation among those who run the country of the 'soft power' of sports. I've written about this in more detail in an article for DNA - No sports please, we're Indian.

4 comments:

Trideep said...

Sumit,

I second ur thoughts. Its not only the money. We probably lack the will to be the leaders in sports. Add to it the presence of petty poiticians in sports.

BTW. A nice blog.. Have blogrolled u.

straight point said...

when you hear reports of women hockey players were made to stay in virtuall hell...asked to share beds in highly un-hygienic conditions...

sprinters dont even given proper shoes to run leave facilities provided...

even our men hockey player do their own laundry to save money...

you get so much 'inspired' to play for country...

we are wining (if at all) despite the system...and until we see marked willingness to change system we will be like this...winning here or there on individual brilliance...

i have also hear rumors that we are hosting common wealth games? ;-))

Unknown said...

thanks trideep.

Soulberry said...

Anybody who watched Akhil Kumar take out the bantam-weight boxing world champion at the Olympics on Independence Day must have got an instant shot of serotonin in the brain and resumed whatever they were doing with added zing.

Are you a spirit or something Sumit? How come you were watching me? :)

But I agree with the article. However, it is this slow flame which must be fanned to cook that perfectly soft sporting pulao of success. The people must get excited...they must see, touch and feel the underwhelming of an overwhelming concept. It is them some improvement is possible. Without that we are not even of first base for change.