‘Need more support to promote sports in India’

GURUGRAM: Experts and corporates involved in promoting sports came together on Wednesday to discuss problems faced by sportspersons across Haryana and the country.
The meet was organised by Haryana Vishwakarma Skill University (HVSU) in Udyog Vihar. Members of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), owners of private sports academies across the state, coaches of national-level sports teams and several corporates involved in manufacturing sports equipment, took part in the meeting.

The lack of support for players of sports other than cricket was also discussed. Colonel Utkarsh Rathore, HVSU joint director, said, “Sports is gradually taking the country by storm. Today, the number of players coming from smaller places is growing. Corporate world needs to come forward and take up responsibility of helping them.”

Speaking of the difficulties faced by sportspersons in the country, Sunil Dabas, coach of the Indian women’s kabbadi team, said: “I’m really disturbed about the lack of sports academies in India. There are 78 sports academies in the country, whereas China has six lakh such academies. I’m the coach of a national team but I have to double up as a physiotherapist, psychologist and counsellor. In contrast, a sports team from other nations generally has a head coach and several other trainers.”

She added, “Players are not aware of what supplements they should take. They don’t know which drugs are banned.”

Dabas also spoke about the need to change the way India plays sports.

Experts also spoke of the need to include sports education in the school curriculum.

Neeta Pradhan Das, director (skill development), CII, said: “To ensure India plays sports, we need to inculcate it in our students. From the next academic year, CBSE will have one exam on sports education. It will be mandatory for kids to clear this exam, like any other subject. We need to change the mindset of people in this country, and we can only do that by educating our younger generation about sports.”