Modi Govt @ 8 | It’s a good time to be a sportsperson in India

Last week, a major news covered extensively across the media was how an IAS couple allegedly misused the government-run Thyagraj Stadium on a daily basis, and thereby restricted its access to athletes.

The public outrage against what was a grotesque display of entitlement is clear, but what notched up the anger was that athletes were being ill-treated. Obviously the couple were not aware of how the stock value of sportspersons has improved drastically in the last one decade.

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Perhaps earlier such a media exposé would have made little difference to the VIPs, but in a ‘New India’ sports is getting the importance it deserves both on and off the field — and the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s contribution towards this cannot be ignored.

Improved Visibility

India’s performance in the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021 was its best-ever, and the same was the case with the para-Olympians a month later. For the first time in the history of badminton, India won the Thomas Cup on May 15. Over the last few years, sports and sportspersons have become more visible.

One of the biggest factors in the tectonic shift in the attitude of politicians and bureaucrats towards sportspersons has been Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal focus to make sportspersons heroes of today’s India. In many ways, the Khel Mahakumbh, which was started in 2010 when Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister to encourage participation in regional sports such as Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, tug-of-war, etc., has catalysed and expanded to the national scene as the Khelo India project.

From a modest Rs 97.52 crore when it was introduced in 2015-16, the Khelo India budget has been raised to Rs 974 crore in 2022, and is about 30 percent of the entire sports budget.

If Gujarat’s biggest annual sports event (started in 2010 with 16 sports and 1.3 million participants,) now encompasses 36 general sports and 26 para sports and over 4.5 million sportspersons’ registration, the numbers and impact for Khelo India has been massive. The budget for sports has been boosted by about 70 percent since 2014, encouraging more and more individuals to choose a career in sports.

Sports In The Spotlight

A distinct feature of Modi’s communication with sportspersons across India has been his (and his governments) focus on social media. From Mirabai Chanu to the Thomas Cup winners to the thousands of sportspersons who have raised the tricolour at the international arena, Modi has invariably been the first to lead in appreciating and congratulatory messages. This amplifies the accomplishments as apart from the staggering buzz on social media, the news is picked up across media outlets, and the athlete and the sport enjoy the spotlight. The sportsperson gains instant recognition, becomes and celebrity, and this leads to the much-needed sponsors and funding.

Prior to 2014, governments have recognised sportspersons, but Modi, through his social media and other initiatives such as Mann Ki Baat, has given sports and fitness a refreshing approach, the impact of which is immensely felt in India’s sports arena today.

This has been backed by the government undertaking remarkable changes at the grassroots level across sporting disciplines where there has been massive improvement in infrastructure. The increasing involvement of the corporate sector in institution building measures, like the Aspire Institute of sports (backed by the JSW group in Bengaluru) or the Gopichand academy in Hyderabad, illustrate the point that how the culture of sports is evolving for the better.

Dark Patches

Yet, there are dark patches that need to be addressed. India has a long way to go before sports and sporting activities are given an equal footing as education; we need to further fine tune the processes used to spot and hone sporting talent, and; even more needs to be done to improve out sports infrastructure. While Khelo India has become a platform for budding sportspersons, its goal of promoting much-marginalised sports is yet to be fully achieved.

Despite these glitches, there is no denying that there has never been a better time to be a sportsperson in India — and if you’re in doubt, just ask a sportsperson.

Vimal Kumar is a senior sports journalist who has covered multiple cricket world cups and Rio Olympics in the last two decades. Vimal is also the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of The Century and The Cricket Fanatic’s Essential Guide.

Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.