Managing Sports Personalities in India

chillibreeze writer — Imran Nabi Dar

It has now become a cliché to say that Cricket has taken the charm away from every other sport in India. The reason for the downfall of other sports in India has always been attributed to the popular game of cricket.

Take for instance Indian hockey, which has the distinction of winning the country's first Olympic gold, besides winning a number of prestigious international tournaments. However, due to the continuous debacles and controversies, the game is slowly losing its sheen. The game is no more popular than it should have been. And it's not because of cricket. It is people who decide whether they support a particular game or not. No one can forcibly ask them to go and watch the game. And probably same is the case with other sports.

Until 1983, nobody was as crazy for cricket as they are now. Hockey enjoyed a lot of popular support as well. After winning the cricket world cup, the Indians loved to enjoy their new iconic status in the world of cricket. It's a popular saying; “Jo jeeta wohi Sikander”. And Cricket became the Sikander (Alexander) of sports. People loved the game, the players and the excitement. Cashing in on the popular sentiment, big industrial houses began to endorse the game of cricket. Suddenly, the cash started to trickle down to everyone involved with cricket. India's off and on performances on the cricket ground hardly made any difference to the iconic status of a cricket player. Until a player reaches the ripe age of 35, he is a darling endorser for almost every brand in the field of advertisement. There is no denying the fact that Sachin Tendulkar, India's most successful batsman, was one of the highest paid sports persons in the world.

The reason why India is such a strong player in the world of international cricket is not only because of its players but also because of the board, BCCI, who manages them. They are playing a vital part in placing cricket and the cricketers on top of the podium. The board is run professionally just like a company and players are performing so as to get the maximum benefits. The people involved in the board are often accused of malpractices and corruption but still it's the most successful board established for the betterment of any game in cricket.

Recently, the Beijing Olympics proved the point crystal clear. Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold. And the most important reason behind his success was his commitment and the financial support from his affluent industrialist father. Bindra's father built him an air conditioned shooting range in his home and provided all the facilities that an international player would require. With due respect to Bindra's ability, the financial support provided that extra push that many promising athletes don't have and which ultimately reflects in their performance.

With one gold and two bronze, Beijing Olympics has been the most successful Olympics for India till date. With a growing economy and well defined financial systems, its not difficult for India to produce top ranking athletes in various categories and bring home gold after gold. What is required a clear initiative from the government wherein the players get the world class facilities here in India. And to achieve all this people of India have to make it clear with their respective political parties to make sports a priority in their scheme of things.

Ultimately it's the democracy which prevails over all others. No one can run away from the fact that India needs a strong sports infrastructure so as to match others and perform well internationally. India has the talent which was amply shown by the Bhiwani boys. What is required is a strong political wing which can translate talent into credible performances.

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—About our writer:

Imran saya, "I believe there is always something to learn from everywhere and everyone. I am a person who believes in extracting the best out of the negative. And of course, I love sports and music. They energize me and keep me going on with my work."

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