Contemporary issues of Sports in India

What is the history of sports in India?

India, a land rich in history, tradition, and culture, has always been a hub for activity in many aspects.

Ancient and medieval period:

The world's oldest stadium with terraced stands was constructed in Dholavira, Gujarat, during the third millennium BCE.
The mantra in the Atharvaveda says, "Duty is in my right hand and the fruits of victory in my left." This resembles the Olympic Oath: "For the Honour of my Country and the Glory of Sport."
India has a rich heritage of martial arts. In the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Bhima and Hanuman were the greatest Gadadhari and were skilled in wrestling.
Board games, including chess and snakes and ladders, originated from the ancient Indian games chaturanga and gyan chauper respectively and later these games went to foreign countries, where they would be modernized.

British Colonial period:

During the colonial period, British India competed at six Olympic Games, winning medals in field hockey.
Dorabji Tata, with the support of Dr. A.G. Noehren, the then- director of YMCA, established the Indian Olympic Association in 1927.
One of the world's earliest football clubs, the Mohun Bagan was established in 1889. The club was formed when The Football Association began making standard rules for football.

What are the Achievements of India in Sports before Independence?

Olympics:

The 1900 Paris Olympics became memorable in Indian sport's history with the astounding performance of Norman Gilbert Pritchard, a British-Indian athlete.

Wrestling:

The 1900 Paris Olympics became memorable in Indian sport's history with the astounding performance of Norman Gilbert Pritchard, a British-Indian athlete.
The prominent wrestler of the British Indian Empire, Ghulam Mohammad Baksh, aka the Great Gama was the ultimate winner of the John Bull World Championships after a long and fierce wrestling bout held in September 1910 with Polish wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko.
Bruce Lee took inspiration from Great Gama used to follow his exercise routines.

Football:

The unforgettable victorious performance by the barefoot Bengali boys of Mohun Bagan in 1911. These Indian footballers defeated the well-equipped East Yorkshire Regiment team at the breathtaking final match barefoot.
They emerged as the winner of the IFA Shield Tournament with an applaudable score of 2-1, becoming the first Indian football club to do so and were entitled as the "The Immortal Eleven".

Hockey:

In the era of the "Hockey Wizard" Major Dhyan Chand, the Indian National Hockey Team attained much prominence for its consecutive gold victories in the Olympic Games of 1928, 1932, and 1936.
The team continued with a 30-0 winning streak until 1960 and was also the first Non-European team to become a part of the International Hockey Federation.

Cricket:

India was introduced to this amazing game of bat and ball by European sailors in the 18th century. Few of our legendary players of the era such as Ranjit Singh and Duleep Singh have played in the British Empire phase.
On 25th June,1932 when India had its first Test match at the Lord's Ground and became the sixth country to attain Test status. C.K. Naidu led the first Indian Test team.

What is the model of Sports Governance in India?

What are the contemporary issues of sports in india?

Issues	Analysis
Administrative Issues	There is no standard code, rule, legislation, or law that regulates how various sports associations are run which includes elections, funding, scheduling, events, requirements, and time limits. Rivalries and disputes among the various sports associations concerning the same sport also hamper the regulation. Ex-Indian hockey has suffered greatly as a result of the dispute between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) over which organization should be the sport’s official regulatory body. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)'s newly elected governing council.
Sexual Harassment	In India, a total of 45 reports regarding sexual harassment have emerged from 24 government- operated sports institutes between 2010 and 2020. A Delhi court on May 10 framed charges of sexual harassment and outraging modesty against against former Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Singh.
Lack of Infrastructure	One of the most significant challenges is the lack of maintenance of the existing infrastructure. Many sports facilities are poorly maintained, which makes them unsafe for athletes and visitors. This can discourage people from using these facilities and can impact the development of sports in the country. There is no suitable system in place to develop talent at the school, block, and district levels before elevating the best athletes to the state and federal levels.
Gender bias	Sport is also plagued by gender inequality, with women finding it difficult to reach the pinnacle of Indian sports. Sports are deemed “too tough” for Indian women to participate in, hence they are overwhelmingly male-dominated.
Lack of Sporting Culture	Unlike countries with a strong sporting culture, India often lacks community-based sports infrastructure and programs. Developing grassroots sports culture can help identify and nurture talent from a young age.
Lack of Funding in sports	Due to persistent lack of resources, India’s athletes have struggled to compete well in elite competitions for a very long time. Sports funding is constrained in a nation like India, where infrastructure, education, and healthcare are still significant demands for most of the populace.
Cricket Dominance	Cricket's immense popularity in India often overshadows other sports. The Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket events receive substantial media coverage and sponsorships, leading to cricket players becoming household names. This cricket-centric focus diverts attention and resources away from other sports.
Corruption & Mismanageme nt of sports authorities:	Corruption has become synonymous with sports administration everywhere. 2010 Commonwealth Games Scam in India involving pilferage of around Rs 70,000 crore. It was estimated that only half of the allotted amount was spent on Indian sportsperson. The Indian Hockey Federation was suspended in 2008 by the IOA over an alleged bribery for selection scandal.
Rise in Political Interference	The interference of politics in sports is a significant factor that affects the selection of individuals for specific roles, introducing chaos and favoritism into the process. When political affiliations overshadow merit and ability, it results in imbalanced teams and raises doubts about the fairness of competition. When governments inject political considerations into sports, valuable resources like funding and support are often squandered. Lalit Bhanot, who spent 11 months in prison after allegations of corruption following the 2010 games, was elected as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association.
Doping issue	As per the report released by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) India's 3.2% of AAFs is the highest in the world among nations that tested more than 2,000 samples. India recorded the highest number of drug cheats in the world in 2022.
Lack of remuneration & Job Security	Sports are a result of human nature, which strives for excellence and perfection, but due to the absence of financial compensation and job stability for athletes, the sports sector is not viewed as a viable career option in India.
Cultural and Societal Norms	Traditionally, academic and professional pursuits have been favored over sports in Indian society. Parents often discourage their children from pursuing careers in sports due to concerns about financial stability and social status.
Celebrity Culture	In India, the definition of success and influence is often tied to celebrities and influencers in fields like entertainment and social media. Sports players, especially in lesser-known sports, struggle to compete with these personalities for public attention and endorsement opportunities.
Religious Obstacles	Some sports, including swimming and athletics, call for clothing that partially exposes a woman’s body and violates the morals of some religions.

What are the initiatives taken to overcome challenges of sports in india?

Initiatives	Description
Fit India Movement:	Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated this movement on August 29th, 2019. The movement’s goal is to influence people’s behaviors and encourage them to live more physically active lifestyles, to promote fitness as simple, enjoyable, and cost-free. The Fit India Movement seeks to spread a fitness and sports culture throughout the nation. It motivates people to give fitness a high priority in their daily life.
Khelo India:	The Khelo India Program was introduced by the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The government would train the athletes and their coaches as part of the Khelo India Scheme to improve their performance on the world stage (Olympics). The “Khel Mahakumbh,” which takes place in Gujarat and features participation in 27 different sports by schools and institutions from throughout the nation, served as the inspiration for the Khelo India 2020 program.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS):	Its goal is to find, develop, and prepare future medal contenders for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under this program, athletes and sports people will receive specialized instruction from renowned coaches at cutting-edge sports facilities and institutions. A similar program called Junior TOPS, which targets kids as young as 10 to 12 years old and aims to create Olympic champions in 2028, was also introduced by the government in 2020.
The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)	The Fund helps athletes succeed by giving them opportunities to train with renowned international coaches, technical, scientific, and psychological support, and exposure to international competitions. The Fund plays a supplemental role in offering financial support for developing infrastructure and other activities to promote sports.
Schemes for the Indian Sports Authority (SAI)	SAI also manages several programs for youth and senior sports promotion. The National Sports Academy (NSA) Scheme, the Center of Excellence Scheme, the National Sports Talent Contest Scheme (NSTC), the Army Boys Sports Company Scheme, the Special Area Games Scheme, and the COME and PLAY Scheme are the programs that the Sports Authority is now putting into action.
Mission Olympics 2024	To assist India in winning 50 medals in the 2024 summer Olympics, NITI Aayog has developed a short- and medium-term action plan.
Scheme for Sports & Games for People with Disabilities:	The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports launched the “Scheme of Sports & Games for the Disabled” as a Central Sector Scheme in 2009–201. It was a part of the XI Plan Period. The scheme’s primary goal is to get as many disabled people involved in sports as possible.
National Centre of Sports Sciences and Research (NCSSR):	The National Center for Sports Sciences and Research’s (NCSSR) program is to promote the highly calibrated study, instruction, and innovation with regard to top athletes’ high levels of performance. The program strives to encourage top-notch research, education, and innovation in relation to elite athletes’ high levels of performance. The scheme’s primary goal is to get as many disabled people involved in sports as possible.

Enlist recent achievements by India in Sports?

Olympics:

Asian Games:

Cricket:

Commonwealth Games 2022:

Wrestling:

Udey Chand is the first Indian wrestler to win a medal at the World Wrestling Championships. He bagged a bronze in the men’s freestyle 67 kg category at the 1961 world championships held in Yokohama, Japan.
In total, India have won 23 medals at the World Wrestling Championships. These include 1 gold, 5 silver and 17 bronze.
Twelve of these medals have come since 2018.
Bajrang Punia has won the most medals for India at the world championships with four - one silver and three bronze.
Alka Tomar broke the drought by becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal at the World Wrestling Championships.
Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the World Wrestling Championships after she won another bronze, in the 53kg, in Belgrade Serbia.

What is Commercialisation of Sports?

Commercialization of sports is defined as that aspect of the sports that involves the purchase, sale, display or use of sport in such a way that it generates revenue and profit, for making the sports better internationally, with world-class infrastructure.

What is the Golden Triangle of Commercialisation of Sports?

Golden Triangle	Description
1. Sports	Sport benefits from commercialism. Increased revenue helps individual sportspeople and sports organizations to increase participation, improve performances and attract support. As technology becomes an increasingly important element of sport and sports compete with each other to engage participants and spectators, funding is even more crucial.
2. Media	The media benefits from the commercialisation of sport. High profile sports stories help to attract audiences, listeners and readers. In turn, the media makes sure that sport keeps a high profile. Disney Star had won India TV rights of IPL for a bid of Rs 23,575 crore and Reliance- backed Viacom18 (owner of JioCinema) bagged the digital rights for Rs 23,758 crore.
3. Sponsor	Sponsors benefit from the commercialisation of sport. Their funding is essential for the sport's growth. In return, high profile coverage of sport ensures a high profile for their companies and products. Tata Group has won title sponsorship rights for Indian Premier League (IPL) for five years, paying the highest-ever sponsorship amount of Rs 2,500 crore.

In this way, sport – particularly elite sport, the media and sponsorship are interlinked. This is called the Golden Triangle.

What are the advantages of Commercialisation of Sports?

Advantages	Analysis
Player Distraction
Improved Infrastructure:	Commercialization of sports leagues in India has led to significant investments in sports infrastructure. Stadiums, training facilities, and sports academies have been developed or upgraded to meet international standards, providing athletes with top-notch facilities to enhance their performance. Ex:Narendra Modi Stadium is the world’s largest cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 1,32,000 and is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Increase in funds For sports
Increased Exposure	Commercialization is about media exposure for the sport. If a major company sponsors an event it is much more likely to get prime time television coverage, bringing in greater advertising revenues and exposing more people to the sport. This will bring in more fans, improve the profitability of local sports clubs, which in turn helps the local economy and revives community spirit when the team is performing well.
Increased Opportunities for Athletes	Sports leagues have opened up new avenues for athletes to showcase their talent and pursue a professional career. They offer a platform for both established players and emerging talents to gain recognition, secure contracts, and earn a livelihood through sports. This will bring in more fans, improve the profitability of local sports clubs, which in turn helps the local economy and revives community spirit when the team is performing well.
Economic Growth:	Commercialized sports leagues contribute to economic growth by generating revenue streams, creating employment opportunities, and attracting investments from corporate sponsors and advertisers. They stimulate sectors such as hospitality, tourism, media, and merchandise, thus boosting the overall economy.
Increased Employment	According to a FICCI report published in 2018, India would require an estimated 4.3 million sports professionals working in the industry by 2022. To highlight the growing demand, IPL over the last decade has created employment opportunities for and also created employment for over 15000 professionals.

What are the disadvantages of Commercialisation of Sports?

Disadvantages	Analysis
Player Distraction	It has been claimed in some sports that commercialization results in poorer player performance at international levels. For example the underperformance of the England soccer team despite the domestic Premier League having the highest wages of any soccer league in the world. Commercialization also offers a distraction from the game as the top name players are signed up by major labels to promote products.
Economic inequality:	Wealthier clubs and teams can afford to pay more for talented players, creating a competitive imbalance in sports.
Loss of traditional values:	As sport becomes a business, the focus may shift from playing for enjoyment and sportsmanship to earning money and winning at all costs.
Fan Costs	One of the main problems with increased commercialization from a fan's perspective is the feeling the increased costs are passed on to them. Ticket prices, refreshments and team shirt prices have all gone up at the same time more and more advertising space is sold around the stadium and television rights are sold for almost every game.
Commercial pressure:	Athletes may feel under pressure to perform not just for victories, but to maintain or increase their economic value.

10.

What should be the way ahead?

As commercialisation increases, issues related to ethics have gained prominence, including corruption, doping, match-fixing, and unfair competition.
Transparency, accountability, and adherence to ethical standards are critical in commercialized sports to maintain fairness and integrity.

11.

What is the relevance of the topic for UPSC CSE?

For Prelims: Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) , Fundamental Rights, CVC, IOA,Doping.
For Mains: Sports Governance and Issues.

Some Previous Years Prelims Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000: (2021)

1. American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.

2. The award has been received mostly by ‘Formula One’ players so far.

3. Roger Federer received this award a maximum number of times compared to others.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)

Q2. Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics: (2021)

1. The official motto for this Olympics is ‘A New World’.

2. Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this Olympics.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (b)

Check UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Papers

Some Previous Years Mains Questions

Q1. An athlete participates in the Olympics for personal triumph and nation’s glory; victors are showered with cash incentives by various agencies, on their return. Discuss the merit of state sponsored talent hunt and its cultivation as against the rationale of a reward mechanism as encouragement. (2014)

Check UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers

Some Questions From This Year And Previous Years Interview Transcripts

Board Sheel Vardhan sir: (2024)

What is fosbury jump and what are different types of high jump?
What's your highest jump during school days?

Board Lt Gen Raj Shukla sir: (2024)

So you are a football fan?
Why, despite being so popular in pockets of India, football lags behind cricket?
Football is so popular, Messi is considered god, why is the craze for football limited to bars and pubs when people want to drink and cheer?
But cricket was in a similar situation in the 70s and 80s and an elite sport?
Why did it succeed but football did not?

Board Dinesh Dasa sir: (2024)

You are interested in playing shuttle badminton. What is your style of play?
Asked for terminology related to badminton.

Board BB swain sir: (2024)

Who is the greatest hockey player India ever produced?
Who was the captain of the Indian team when India won bronze in the last olympics?

Board Suman Sharma mam:

India's performance in Asian games . Comment upon it
What was the medal tally count and India’s rank in medal tally
India to host the 2036 Olympics . What are the advantages apart from Sports getting a boost.

Some Questions for QUIZ

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding World Anti-Doping Agency

1. It is an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world.

2. Its headquarters is located in New York.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 Only

(b) 2 Only

(d) None

Ans: (a)

Some Questions for POLL

Q1. Have ever been in sports activities?

(a) YES

(b) NO

Q2.Did commercialisation improve the standards of sports in the country?

(a) YES

(b) NO

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