SPORTS

Rise of other sports

Cricket has been more than a passion for many Indians and there are millions of religious followers of the sport across the country. However, sports like Hockey, Wrestling, Archery among others have brought glory to the nation. recently, the Indian women’s hockey team won an Olympic test event against Japan. Sania Mirza, Abhinav Bindra, PV Sindhu, Dutee Chand- have created a special place for themselves in the heart of Indian citizens through their performances at national as well as global platforms. It is high time that wider array of sports are given their rightful stance in India. The Union budget should focus on grassroots development of sports offering equal opportunities to talented people from every nook and corner of the country to grow in their respective fields. Large funders often come forward to support the building of a stadium but very few think about the nitty-gritty- equipment, training, and academic inclusion of sports. Its a call for a systemic change approach to inculcate a cultural change in the sports field in India.

Women in sports

It is noteworthy that women are reshaping the sports field in India. There are many women such as PV Sindhu, Manashi Joshi, Mary Kom, Hima Das - who have made India proud at a global platform whether it is Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or Olympics. Indian women have thrived for excellence at all levels and brought great laurels for the nation. But many of these international champions had to fight against numerous odds to reach where they are today. While some had limited access to training and resources, some had to face financial and societal struggles. There is huge potential yet to be unlocked and there is a lot more to be done at the source of these issues. Women need to be equipped with the right resources, training and encouragement and the day won’t be far when India gives rise to many more Mary Kom, Sindhu, Hima and Manashi.