There is another side to this. In foreign countries people take up sports with some degree of seriousness in school itself. Here we rarely do that; unless parents insist. Our sporting efforts are misdirected when we are kids, rather than focused by a coach.
In the US, lots of Olympic gold medalists earn less than USD$100K a year (starting salary on Wall Street). In India, if you win something small, you get millions of dollars in endorsements, and a lot of recognition. In fact, I have been speaking to a few decent (white) sportsmen to take up Indian citizenship, for teh glory and the money. There could also be a sentimental story attached to it
So, while sportsment abroad dont have to worry about food and clothing, the real payoffs are at the very pinnacle. Even if you are a top star, you will most probably not be a celebrity or make a lot of money. People play for the love of the sport, and most of the time earn a median salary.
I agree that in India, lots of thing supercede love for sports. But, honestly, most of us dont even know whether we are good at any sport when we are 14-16 (we arent talking about Tendulkar here). That is rare abroad.
Agree 100% with Lt. Col Rathore. What we need in India is a complete turnover in attitude. The only game that we recogonise is cricket! There is absoloutely no encouragement to other sports and sportepersons. Total apathy is shown both by the govenment and the people. Look at Sania Mirza for example, she has acheved so much due to hardwork and all the Mullahs of her community can think of is the length of her skirt! Imagine what the mullahs wud have one if she were a swimming champ! Anyways, the point is, we need to change our attitude towards sports and that will only come if we realise that physical fitness is as important as financial security and from this will stem, ones interest in sports and encouragement to youngsters who want to pursue it as a career.
I completely agree what rathore says.The word"attitude" means a lot to the indian public. They should come out of their blind following to one sport (read as cricket ). If not , even thousand sania mirza's cannot change the minds of indian public
Lt Col Rathore is a celebrity. I agree with his comments. He as Rajiv Khel Ratna awardee can meet the Prime Minister and impress upon the plight of Sportmen in finding employment. Govt of India should immediately order for appointment of sportsmen who have served the country on priority basis without waiting for completion of formalities and also instruct the states to follow it.All the PSU's & Big Industrial houses, should maintain teams. The govt should create infrastructure to promote sports at grass root level than spending crores on conduct of middle level meets which help concerned authorites make money. A sports arena should be within the access of childrens movement.
RE:views
by Hanumanth Rao Singam on Sep 08, 2005 03:58 PM
I am a Basketball State player aged 54 years.Formed the departmental team and won the departmental All India titles, All India Civil Services Title and many more tournaments. I continue to coach my club and departmental teams. My son has represented INDIA in all the age groups i.e, Schools, U-19, U-21 and Men from 1997 to 2001. I taught him the basics and developed him as an a valuable player. The best teams of the country, IOB, TATA, HAL, Vijaya Bank, Western Railway, BSNL and Central Excise have taken his resumes but nobody offered a Job. The South Central Railway has taken 2 years for giving appointment order(2003) even after his representing SENIOR INDIA in 2001. He was the member of INDIAN RAILWAYS TEAM for 2004 Nationals. As per the Railway Board norms,a medal in the National championships (in any age group) is considered above playing for INDIA. SCR offered him a skilled worker job with a basic of 2800, when refused and prayed for a job in the basic of 5500-6500 as he is a Graduate, could offer him only 3050 basic on par with others with no worthy performance which is nothing but Insulting. He wants to quit the game, job and wants to settle in a respectable business
We should simply lay the basic infrastructure for a market to operate. For example, if such good sporting facilities are made available at the schools, there will be demand for coaches in these sports- which consequently will lead more students pursuing a career in the field and which will entail training schools for coaches springing up. Also, improved performance by an athlete should prompt sponsors to come in, solving some more of the financial worries of the IOA regarding sending athletes overseas, proper kit, etc. This has been seen before with the Indian cricket team and more recently, Vijay Mallyas backing of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, the top football clubs in India and Sahara coming forward to support the Indian hockey team. As reforms in the Indian economy continue and the arm of the state is reduced from the commanding heights of the economy to focus on more important public services, education being the foremost, resources should be made more readily available in budgetary sessions for this purpose.
RE:Australia cannot be compared to India.
by Anurag on Sep 06, 2005 10:10 PM
Yeah Australia should not be compared to India, because we are a lot lazier. Nobody can compare to pur abilities of finding an excuse for everything. I strongly beleive that we do not play for even fun or recreation as much as we should play, simply because we are lazy. Now a country of people who do not play cause they are lazy, cannot compete in world class sports.
I think the biggest reason we are so behind in sports is because we don't have good leadership in the country. If we had good leaders, then they would set target, for example, to win 10 gold medals in next Olympics. Once we have a target, then the leader would put the processes and infrastructure in place to achieve the target. Similarly one thing would lead to other. Things are not happening right now because we don't have a leader with a vision of India dominating/winning on international level. Our leaders are busy filling their Swiss accounts.
Whatever has been said in this post lies entirely true....I mean not many people are going to sacrifice their hot seats for toiling in the field....LEts get that right people....even I am one of those so really cant complain abt how reality bites...But what I think might be a good idea is something copied<but isnt everything> from the US UK Russia Europe.....We really need to improve our image ....in the sports domain....not a compulsion but as a healthy nation....the potential I se in my counrty and countrymen is astronomiccal...just that we need to develop proper channels to incubate, nourish and present it....Guess the rest falls on how the people perceive....
