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My arrival in India roughly coincided with the end of the 2012 London Olympic Games. India's paltry medal count at the Olympics led to furore in Indian media highlighting the government's failure to make sports a priority. The media roundly criticised the government for the country's low medal count at the London Olympics. At the same time there were countless articles on the Chinese model due to their rich haul of medals at the Games.
While there is undoubtedly room for improvement in the government's approach to sports in India and that the Chinese should be applauded for developing many world-class Olympic medal-winning athletes, I believe that it would be a mistake to conclude that India should simply adopt the Chinese model. For while the Chinese medal count is impressive, their approach to Olympic success has not necessarily yielded the broad-based societal benefits normally created by a robust national sports culture.
While living and working in China for eight years, I had the opportunity to closely observe the Chinese model of sports development. It involves a rigorous programme dedicated to developing a relatively small group of children into world class Olympic athletes. These children are handpicked by the government at a very early age and given training, mental and physical conditioning and nutrition with a single minded goal of winning at the Olympics.
This model is in stark contrast to the sporting environment that I experienced while growing up in the United States. The US system can be characterised by the broad access to sports through community-based, parent-supported sports leagues for young children. These leagues are ubiquitous, inexpensive, and open to all. For the older children, there are well-organised high school and university athletics programmes. This access to sports is further supported by municipal and community facilities. Children are encouraged to play at an early age and should they want to pursue their talent, the system is structured in a manner that automatically propels deserving talent to the top leagues at the university and national levels.
Without dwelling much on the success of this system, the point that I am trying to convey is that India could adopt a similar mode albeit tailored to fit its unique culture and society. To be successful, this would require that the government, NGOs, the private sector, and parents all create an environment that will encourage and facilitate broad-based access to sports.
The role of government in the development of sports is threefold. First, governments must allocate land and resources to develop sports facilities. Second, the government must create an environment that will allow the grassroot programmes that are sprouting across India to flourish. Some of these programmes will ultimately evolve into organised leagues. Finally, all schools must support the initiatives taken by the government and allocate sufficient time and resources to physical fitness and sports activities.
If it is the responsibility of governments to provide the hard infrastructure - space and facilities - for sports development, it is the role of NGOs to provide the soft infrastructure. A plethora of NGOs have emerged in recent years to promote the development of sports in India by organising leagues, promoting tournaments, and improving the quality of coaching, scouting, and officiating. These NGOs are on the front lines of the battle to build a quality sports infrastructure in India and they deserve all the support we can muster.
While corporates may not be under any technical obligation to support the development of sports in India, if they ignore the opportunity that it represents, it will be to their own detriment. From the success of the IPL to the emergence of newer leagues in hockey, badminton, and now football, sports are definitely catching the imagination of young India.
However, to develop a culture of sports, the most important element is a mindset change on the part of parents. Because Indian parents often do not see the important role that sports play in the development of our children, coupled with the fact that currently in India sports is not yet considered as a viable career path, parents generally discourage children from spending too much time on the playing field. In this age of increasing child obesity, it has never been more important to encourage children to turn off the television, shut off the video games, and go outside to play. Sports teach our children valuable life skills that will be carried into adulthood regardless of their ultimate profession. These include perseverance, cooperation, teamwork, leadership and conflict resolution.
So, where are we on this journey toward a robust sports culture in India? Although there is still a long way to go, I am very encouraged by some emerging trends. There is increasing awareness of health and fitness in the country. This is evident through the extraordinary growth in gym memberships and the visible emergence of a running culture in India. The popularity of community running clubs and marathon participation are exciting trends.
With increased exposure to global sporting events, the youth has evolved, and there is a growing market today for new sports. From Messi to Murray, young Indians have found a whole new set of heroes. Adding to this is the slew of recent wins by Indian sporting icons that have inspired youngsters to pursue their passion for sports. The success stories of Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom and Dipika Pallikal have also inspired a lot of young girls to pursue sports.
It is based on these developments, some evident and some latent, that I believe the Indian sports story is going through significant changes. The leagues are going international and the biggest media and corporate groups are backing sports. I am convinced that as the Indian sports scenario evolves and gains greater acceptance and participation from communities, corporates and the government, India is poised to make its mark on the world sporting arena.
Erick Haskell
Managing Director, adidas Group (India)
Managing Director, adidas Group (India)
