Need for change

The month gone by has been a memorable one for Indian sports. India’s junior volleyball team gave the mighty Brazilians a scare before finishing a creditable fourth in the World Championships. Sania Mirza finished second in two ITF events at Lexington and Vancouver. We can hope that she does well at the US Open. And then, India’s very own Formula One team, Force India recorded its first points ever when Giancarlo Fisichella finished second for the Vijay Mallya’s team. Mallya, the visionary that he is, marched on defying the countless failures and setbacks that came his way before leading the team to success. Last but definitely not least, India’s football team edged out Syria on penalties to claim a hat-trick of international titles.
As Indians savour these occasional moments of joy, I ask: isn’t a country with a billion-plus population supposed to deliver continuous success? We have talented youngsters with huge potential who wait for an opportunity. It’s high time that we give them what they want. For that I propose radical change from the lowest level to the top. Not only just the authorities but the way sport is run and organised should undergo change. The triumphs that I mentioned above were mostly due to the individuals own determination and efforts. This was the case with Abhinav Bindra who won India’s first individual Olympic medal. He mostly trained with the support from his father’s business and other private companies. The support from the government was quite minimal. The unfortunate but skilled sportsmen and women who do not have all the necessary facilities are left in the dark. The ministers who rule India’s sports federations are to blame. Many of them, who know nothing about the situation of sports in the country, pledge large amounts of money which seem to vanish into thin air. They should be replaced with ex-sports people who know what they are up with and are capable of taking India to the next level in the world sports arena. The government should support them with funding to provide quality sports infrastructure. This should be easy considering the fact that millions of rupees are spent for cricket. Taking a leaf out of China’s and Qatar’s book, talent search centres should be set up in every nook and cranny of the country discovering potential talent and developing them.
If we set up a good foundation, we can be sure of achievements at the highest level in the near future. Even a dozen medals at the 2012 Olympics will be an attainable target. We will be able to build a sports setup that churns out Usain Bolts and Roger Federers on a regular basis. Let’s hope for the best.

Ahmed Hashim