Meet discusses ways to make India a sports superpower

India's record in international sports is relatively poor. Early this week, the sports ministry woke up to this fact. And as India rises in importance as an economy, in commensuration, the ministry wants the country to be a sports superpower.
The sports ministry's meeting had a sense of urgency, as it had to review the preparations for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games - both scheduled next year- and the 2020 Olympics.
Vijay Goel, the minister for sports, pushed for the appointment of the world's best coaches and support staff for the country's athletes. He promised a simultaneous improvement in infrastructure, which leaves much to be desired.
All the stakeholders were present: Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India, Olympic Task Force and Top Scheme Committee, and regional sports bodies.
Goel said one of the reasons for India's poor medal tallies was that the country did not participate in all events. For example, very rarely does India participate in basketball, cycling and martial arts. The meeting decided, therefore, it is of crucial importance to hire the best coaches in the world and support staff to provide training to the athletes in more events.
The various federations would form talent scout teams at the primary school level. School and university games will be closely tracked, and more scholarships awarded to good performers.
Goel said that the government has taken a number of steps to strengthen the various kinds of support given to the athletes and the sportspersons. The regional bodies, he said, must see to it that the funds reach their target beneficiaries.
The meeting realized that many talented sports people suffered from financial insecurity. The way out was to increase the amount awarded in sports scholarships. The minister said that his department has already started working on this.
The general sports condition in India is quite dismal. There have been reports of participants packed into one room, and given just rice and lentil soup. Equally, parents believe, unlike the US, that sports can't be chosen for a professional career.
The sports ministry said this is likely to change with more money coming into sports. The professionalization of cricket and, of late, Kabadi and football, has shown revenues are not a problem, if one knows how to market the event.

One of the long standing ills of Indian sports has been petty squabbling among the various sports federations and associations. The meeting resolved that the Indian Olympic Association ( IOA) would take a more active role in resolving these disputes which ultimately affect the performance of the athletes.
Although the sports ministry seemed keen on improving the standards of sports in general, no specific figures were discussed. Also, it was not clear, how to ween the public's attention away from cricket and its all-too-visible stars, so that other events and games get their due respect. But the meeting and its resolution seemed serious to rewrite India's sports history in gold, instead of bronze.
 

• India