Indian Sports
Much has changed in India since the 20th century. These included rise in economy & GDP, better recognition globally, increased military & political hold, rise of IT sector & undoubtedly the phenomenon observed in the 21st century is the rise of Indian Sports.
Milkha Singh who won gold in 1958 Commonwealth Games at Cardiff, Wales, UK in the track & field category was the first Indian ever to do so .He was even awarded Helms trophy for being the best athlete in 1959. The kind of prestige & recognition ‘The Flying Sikh’ brought for India was immeasurable that too in a time phase when Indian Sports was at its junction. But what happened after him, the whole of India got engulfed by a game named cricket which was imprinted in the minds of people to stay. Performances in Olympics or other sporting events were not phenomenal, whereas cricket was a game where India seemed to excel that too with such an impact that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was formed in 1927.
The board is not a Government of India association, but due to the huge popularity of Cricket in India, it is a very popular organization and undoubtedly the wealthiest sport association of the country (and one of the richest cricket boards internationally too). The power, fame and money associated with this board is such that even the most biggest politicians of the country try to get involved with this board, such is its influence in India.
The point which I’m trying to put forward is that in India cricket is a game which has eclipsed all other sporting events, even Viswanathan Anand had to be a consistent chess champ in order to prove his mettle. However, the present scenario of Indian sports looks very promising & enriching. Abhinav Bindra grabbing gold in Beijing 2008 Olympics in Men’s 10m Air Rifle catapulted the entire happening of events & shifted the focus of Indians from cricket to other sports. People like Krishna Poonia (discus thrower), Dola Banerjee (archer), Vijender Singh (boxing) and many other sportsmen/women each one has a story to tell. A story plagued by common problems like lack of funds, government’s ignorance, improper facilities and inadequate national support. Even Abhinav Bindra admits that his training & equipments came from his own personal finances; he is quick to add that if he would have been dependent upon government to help him out then he might not have been able to win gold and give his best performance at the games. This is indeed a very sad story and we all should come together to support these individuals. Just think about how many more Abhinav Bindras and Sania Nehwals can India produce provided we change just a little bit of our attitude towards sports. I’m not against cricket or any other sport but I think each sportsperson deserves the love and affection of the country which he/she represents and win accolades for in international forums.
Tags: Abhinav Bindra, BCCI, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Commonwealth Games 1958, Cricket, India, Indian Sports, Milkha Singh, Sports, The Flying Sikh, Viswanathan Anand
