India’s Olympic fiasco

Any post mortem of India’s abysmal performances at the Olympics would univocally point to pervasive politics, corruption, nepotism that afflict the sports federations in the country. Most of the participants in various disciplines, despite not having a chance in a million to make it even to the qualifying rounds, board the flight, accompanied by unwanted flab in the form of coaches and so-called support staff. Ironically, while aspiring and talented sports persons are starved of funds, there is plenty to be frittered away to accommodate these junketeers and tourists, who return to India, not with medals, but suitcases full of goodies.

Expectedly, cricket became the subject of criticism in the aftermath of the Olympics debacle. It was an inevitable – a conditioned reflex – reaction, considering the national passion for cricket, and the thousands of crores invested in the game and the players, through sponsorships, advertising and franchising. In the existing scenario, comparing the status of cricket with other sports disciplines is irrational. Multinational companies would prefer to promote their products through events, programmes and personalities which/who attract maximum consumer interest. India is one of the biggest consumer markets in the world and cricket with its billion plus viewership and mileage, is a natural choice for the advertisers.

From a market-oriented perspective, the popularity of the blue-eyed brand ambassadors, their power to influence the consumers apart from massive following and popularity of the game itself are factors that guarantee the expected returns on investment for the sponsors and advertisers. Corporate sponsors and advertisers have little or no interest in non-cricket sports in India, since, from their point of view, there is little scope for return on investment.

The fact that the government considers promotion of sports in the country as a non-priority is reflected in the trivial budget allocation of a little over Rs 3,000 crore. A minister was heard waxing eloquent about how this amount would facilitate the development of sporting talent from the grassroots level onwards. Contrast this budget – which is for the entire country to be spent over a year – to the over Rs 5,000 crore IPL earnings and the plight of other sports becomes evident.

The death of sporting culture in India can be attributed to the dearth of initiatives to identify, nurture, develop and promote talent in the country. The entire academic curricula right from KG to PG reflects the fact that it has been designed by sports illiterates. The curricula is so heavily laden with text bookish dirge, and, archaic teaching-learning process, that it provides zero scope for promoting, inculcating and developing a propensity for sports among the youth of the country. Parents are also to blame for their obsession to ensure academic excellence for their children and give them little to get involved in sports.

India has won only 41 medals in the Olympics, since its initiation in 1900 till date. Moreover, the country has the dubious record of never having crossed even the double digit mark in the medals tally. The few podium finishers who have made the country proud deserve accolades not just for their outstanding achievements, but also accomplishing it despite being deprived of financial support, infrastructure facilities, and, livelihood options from the government and sports federations. India has inherent potential prospective medal winners. The only solution to position India on the track to Olympic glory is to cleanse the system of unwanted elements – sports illiterates and political honchos - holding reins of various national sports organizations and institutions.

(The writer is a senior print, electronic and digital media journalist)