Thank you for reading, Behram. And indeed. To think the work they've done with the fast bowlers since 1987 exists in the same country as the other stuff is wild.
YES , BUT THE MRF FOUNDATION IS NOT A GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE .
OTHER SPORTS HAVE TAKEN A BACK SEAT AND OUR ‘ NATIONAL SPORT ‘ HOCKEY HAS ( TO SOME EXTENT BECAUSE OF RULE CHANGES ) BEEN ALLOWED TO GO INTO THE DOLDRUMS SINCE 1964 !
I AM A CRICKET FANATIC BUT LOVE HOCKEY , SOCCER AND THE RACKET SPORTS AND AM AWARE OF THE ALMOST TOTAL INACTION TAKEN TO LIFT THE LEVEL OF INDIANS PLAYING THEM .
Totally. My point was that the MRF Pace Foundation provides a good model of what happens when sports is done right. Odisha with hockey, much the same. We haven't learn the lessons at a larger scale, and that's terribly unfortunate.
Thank you for reading, Ravi. I think the larger problem is India's governance structure - in every field. Every administrator is only incentivised to look after personal gains. Josy Joseph's Silent Coup explains this wonderfully. That, effectively, leads to random nobodies leading our sports. They, in turn, drain money out of the sport. 🙃
Thank you, Amrita! Sport in India is a wild, wild place. If you haven't read yet, Saakshi Malik's autobiography will have a similar effect on you. It's wonderfully written, but you'll be exasperated and angry after finishing it. Watch out for: khaasi ka doctor!
This is wonderfully researched and articulated. I read an FT piece just today on why India and China struggle at football, and while I understand that building grassroots structures is more complex in vast countries with competing priorities, so many of the prevailing views still feel dismissive. Blaming cricket is invariably the first response. There is no shortage of passion, only purpose among the powers that be. Here is the said article: https://www.ft.com/content/300c7ec9-afca-4252-8696-31366ce3746f?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Blaming cricket, or comparing a sport to cricket here as justification for not putting full support behind it, is just an instinct now. xD Can't have time for that lol.
Amazing post… i feel the same about Indian sports :(
My father’s friend’s daughter was running at the national level. The cooks refused to give her alternatives to things she was allergic to during training. She once told me that the shot put qualifying for nationals was conducted in car headlights because the stadium lights were turned off 😑
Ah man. That's terrible, and so utterly unsurprising. You must've read that report by Jon Selvaraj about the IAS guy using the JLN Stadium in Delhi to walk his dogs. Saakshi Malik's autobiography has many similar anecdotes about random lab assistants being employed as team physios. Abhinav Bindra too. Incredible stuff.
Hard-hitting, true and depressing. Sometimes, I despair for our country- we are as a people fine with mediocre. It may be our greatest weakness and strength.
Well articulated. One of the biggest tragedies of Indian Sport is that Full Time Professional Athletes (Players) are governed by Part Time Amateur Politicians. 🤦♂️
Great incisive detailed writing ! And so depressing to read these truths about the pathetic state of sports ( other than cricket )
Thank you for reading, Behram. And indeed. To think the work they've done with the fast bowlers since 1987 exists in the same country as the other stuff is wild.
FURTHERMORE THE APPOINTMENT OF GOVT REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR KIN ON ALMOST EVERY NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL SPORTS BOARD REEKS OF NONSENSE
YES , BUT THE MRF FOUNDATION IS NOT A GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE .
OTHER SPORTS HAVE TAKEN A BACK SEAT AND OUR ‘ NATIONAL SPORT ‘ HOCKEY HAS ( TO SOME EXTENT BECAUSE OF RULE CHANGES ) BEEN ALLOWED TO GO INTO THE DOLDRUMS SINCE 1964 !
I AM A CRICKET FANATIC BUT LOVE HOCKEY , SOCCER AND THE RACKET SPORTS AND AM AWARE OF THE ALMOST TOTAL INACTION TAKEN TO LIFT THE LEVEL OF INDIANS PLAYING THEM .
Totally. My point was that the MRF Pace Foundation provides a good model of what happens when sports is done right. Odisha with hockey, much the same. We haven't learn the lessons at a larger scale, and that's terribly unfortunate.
Uff, so utterly depressing... And so masterfully told.
I wonder Sarthak - is India particularly bad in sports corruption and apathy? What makes other poor nations (say from Africa) do so much better...?
Thank you for reading, Ravi. I think the larger problem is India's governance structure - in every field. Every administrator is only incentivised to look after personal gains. Josy Joseph's Silent Coup explains this wonderfully. That, effectively, leads to random nobodies leading our sports. They, in turn, drain money out of the sport. 🙃
:((
Oof. Seldom has an essay made me so angry (the content) and so happy (the prose) at the same time.
Thank you, Amrita! Sport in India is a wild, wild place. If you haven't read yet, Saakshi Malik's autobiography will have a similar effect on you. It's wonderfully written, but you'll be exasperated and angry after finishing it. Watch out for: khaasi ka doctor!
This is wonderfully researched and articulated. I read an FT piece just today on why India and China struggle at football, and while I understand that building grassroots structures is more complex in vast countries with competing priorities, so many of the prevailing views still feel dismissive. Blaming cricket is invariably the first response. There is no shortage of passion, only purpose among the powers that be. Here is the said article: https://www.ft.com/content/300c7ec9-afca-4252-8696-31366ce3746f?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Thank you Rachna! Checking the FT piece out.
Blaming cricket, or comparing a sport to cricket here as justification for not putting full support behind it, is just an instinct now. xD Can't have time for that lol.
Amazing post… i feel the same about Indian sports :(
My father’s friend’s daughter was running at the national level. The cooks refused to give her alternatives to things she was allergic to during training. She once told me that the shot put qualifying for nationals was conducted in car headlights because the stadium lights were turned off 😑
Ah man. That's terrible, and so utterly unsurprising. You must've read that report by Jon Selvaraj about the IAS guy using the JLN Stadium in Delhi to walk his dogs. Saakshi Malik's autobiography has many similar anecdotes about random lab assistants being employed as team physios. Abhinav Bindra too. Incredible stuff.
Hard-hitting, true and depressing. Sometimes, I despair for our country- we are as a people fine with mediocre. It may be our greatest weakness and strength.
Thanks for reading, Binu! And indeed. Not even mediocre, we are fine with the status quo - nothing.
Well articulated. One of the biggest tragedies of Indian Sport is that Full Time Professional Athletes (Players) are governed by Part Time Amateur Politicians. 🤦♂️