Kays Brainwave

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

India, Why no sports?

Why is sports not given much importance in India. Now a days most of the kids do not play any game, instead they watch TV or they play video games. And most of the parents encourage their children doing that. The parents think that watching TV is better than playing as the kids wont get tired.
Sports is not only for fun, It builds character, makes a person competetive, strong decision maker, makes him/her think of strategies to win and teaches the person to take win and loss on his/her stride.
I have seen quite a few people in my office who are academically brilliant but they find it difficult to handle unforeseen situations. They just succumb to the pressure or they are not confident to take a decision or they become to scared of losing. If at they loose in their attempt the loss affects the person a lot. And the person takes a long time to come back.
Whereas a person who was/is a sportsman handles pressure situations well. The person keeps his/her cool during the pressure situation and takes a confident decisions and also ready to face the consequences of of the outcome of the situation.
Considering all this I dont understand why Indians dont favour sports. In U.S.A the parents try their best to make their children involved in some sport or the other. Probably thats why Americans are better managers than we Indians are.
I am not telling everyone should become a sportsman at big level, but I feel that everyone should play some sport or the other and become stronger individuals.

Quotes on sports from famous personalities:

You can't win unless you learn how to lose.
~Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Former LA Lakers player)

I don't know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports.
~Richard M. Nixon (37th American President)

Games lubricate the body and the mind
~Benjamin Franklin (American Statesman)

When a man wants to murder a tiger, it's called sport; when the tiger wants to murder him it's called ferocity.
~George Bernard Shaw quotes (Irish literary Critic, Playwright and Essayist. 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature)

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
~Michael Jordan (Former Chicago Bulls player)

When I play, I'm boiling inside. I just try not to show it because it's a lack of composure, and if you give in to your emotions after one loss, you're liable to have three or four in a row.
~Chris Evert

Varta...

6 Comments:

  • At June 29, 2006 4:44 PM, Blogger Sat said…

    India is stuck in the idea from aeons that your academics are your only key to a secured future...sports, well is not so good!...we are the kind of poeple who take everything from the book...well literally!
    Plus....we so much reek of mediocracy that even an otherwise so-so performer is extremely hyped...Sania 'first round' Mirza being a classic example!
    But if that would inspire young girls in india picking up the racket, i don't mind

     
  • At June 30, 2006 8:28 AM, Blogger KK said…

    @sat - what you say is true. Everyone feels academics is the passport for secured future. In a way thats true too. Except for recognised cricketers I have seen and heard that many suffer in their life because the sport is not as recognised as cricket. The best example for this would be the hockey team.
    Since there is so much scarcity of sportsman in India the media seems to hype every Tom, Dick and Harry who goes past the first round in some tournament. But Sania Mirza has surely impressed a lot of young girls, Rathore has impressed quite a few youngsters. So I would say that the hype has surely worked in favour to development.

     
  • At June 30, 2006 9:49 AM, Blogger Sat said…

    See! We Indians are a lazy lot, we want it all out on a platter; seriously who would risk all that money and security for a career in sports?...So even a good sportsman eventually gives in to family 'pressure' and takes up a 9 to 5 job...sad!

     
  • At June 30, 2006 10:53 AM, Blogger KK said…

    @Sat - Yeah really sad! Though we dont make a lot sportsman, we should all atleast play some sport so that the view on sports will change, people will become more sportive and better situation handlers.
    Once the view on sports change, there may be a lot of sportsman being produced in the subsequent generations.
    Only when the competition in the domestion arena increases, the standard of the national sportsman will increase. Thats when we might have some consistent high performing sportsman like Roger Fedrer, Michael Jordan, Carl Lewis, Micheal Schumacher and many more.
    So you see, there's a lot of work to be done on our side and not just by the government.

     
  • At June 30, 2006 11:23 AM, Blogger Sat said…

    absolutely right...the government not doing anythign is a lame excuse, when we don't have the nerve to make it as a career option, the government won't care 2 hoots!...when sports is not given as much weightage as academics; one may be a good athelete in their school days...then come the boards...after which the sports part of their life is tossed out of the window...and how many poeple watch anything other than cricket...everyone wants to be a sachin or sehwag or dhoni of late. I wonder how many are following the FIFA world cup now!!!..

    P.S: It's all in vain you know, we are talking about a crowd that stoops to any levels trying to impress a boss and perform all kinds of cheap tricks to get the highest hike!...to us, only that matters...coz that's what our system has taught us...stay ahead, earn more, be the best at any cost...and none of this is for anything other than the white collar jobs

     
  • At June 30, 2006 12:40 PM, Blogger KK said…

    @Sat - Very true that sports gets thrown out of the window for many by around eighth standard. I guess Soccer has got the next big fan following after Cricket in India. Through people dont bother to see soccer live in some ground, they sure love watching it on TV especially after Star sports and ESPN came to India. Beyond these two I doubt if there is any big fan following for any other sports.
    I totally agree with you that its all a vain talking to people who stoop to any level just to get the extra buck. I have faced a lot and I have been a victim because to me money is not a driving factor. But I brought this topic in my blog because I think if all the bloggers decide to change their views, it can surely make a difference for the generations that is to come...

     

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