INDIAN SPORTS
The history of Indian sports dates back to Vedic period. During the time of Ramayana and Mah..
Any time there is a world cup involving the Indian cricket team we see people out on the streets or grouped around together to watch the matches live and each important victory is celebrated with the cerebral bursting of firecrackers but do we see something even close to resembling this during the football world cup? Or for that matter the Olympics? First of all it is not even possible to see this in the football world cup because it has been ages since the Indian team even got selected for it. So why this ignorance?
Cricket hogs all the limelight in the field of sports in India. But it is not its fault. Nobody is forcing you to watch cricket. But thanks to the government’s lack of interest in other sports cricket is raking in the moolah. The cash-rich BCCI has enough resources and financial acumen to market cricket and that seems to be the main advantage as the better marketing ensures that more and more people turn their eyes towards cricket and harbor dreams of getting into the Indian cricket team. But since the same doesn’t happen with football who would want to get into the Indian football team? It is not surprising really. It is simple brainwash.
Take the example of athletics in India. Most of the best athletes in India can’t even afford proper equipment like shoes and other training gear because the government doesn’t deem fit to invest on them. This hypocrisy and partiality is killing sports in India. Nowadays other sports are getting somewhat more attention and it is not too late. But it is too little. How can kids be inspired to take up something like boxing when someone like MC Mary Kom who is a five time world champion and has won Olympic medals is living her life in media isolation?
I am pretty sure majority of the children wouldn’t even know her if she hadn’t made an appearance in the class 8 general knowledge books. So what is anybody doing to remedy this situation? I think it is time for some sweeping changes to be made in terms gaining people’s attention. I think it has to start with government. Maybe we, the people, or whoever is interested in this cause can raise awareness and request the government to invest in sports as there are still millions of Indians who have dedicated their lives to other sports like athletics and football but who are slowly losing hopes.
Article Source :
http://www.veethi.com/articles/sports-other-than-cricket-treated-as-step-children-article-1145.htm