India & it’s Stakeholders in Sports
India is the land of diversities. Different cultures, people, caste andcreed live here with humongous dreams & appetite. There are several things that bind all the Indians together. None of the others could bring us as close to each other as Sports. Be it a cricket match or an athlete representing India in Olympics, we have seen and heard enormous examples of families & friends coming together, people gathering near shops and even sneaking through the glass of the malls to watch & hear our sportsmen on television and radio do incredible things for the nation. Young or old, adult or a teenager we always show our passion and love towards our country through sports. It’s an undeniable fact that sports run through our DNA. Right from childhood, we are indulged into various games that turn into our passion when we become adults.
Few decide to walk the path of their sport and design themselves into an athlete, while most consume sports as a source of entertainment. Any which ways, it has become an important part of our lives. But, do you know that many stakeholders are responsible to make sure sports remain an integral part of our lives? These bodies are working tirelessly every day to lift the standards of our games. Training and nourishing our athletes to the point and above, where they can stand up to the competition on the world stage and be victorious. They are hugely credited in making an athlete a hero, that we follow every day. As Indians, we must be aware of these organizations to understand how sports in India is structured and governed. These are some of the stakeholders that are involved in the Sports Ecosystem of India:
1.Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) : This department of the government looks over all the activities of sports in the country. Currently (2020), the threads of MYAS is in the able hands of Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Under his watch, India has seen nationwide sporting events. Khelo India Youth Games 2019 & 2020, Khelo India University Games 2020 are some of the events that are initiatives of Kiren Rijiju, which symbolizes the development of sports in India.
Since 1985 Asian Games, New Delhi this department has gone through several changes over the years . Later, in the same year, the Department of Sports was renamed to Department of Youth Affairs & Sports. It was established as a separate Ministry on 27th May 2000.
2. Sports Authority of India (SAI): SAI is the topmost sports branch of MYAS. The sole purpose of SAI is to overlook the development of sports in India. Its headquarters is in Delhi. SAI has 10 Regional Centres, 14 Centres of Excellence, 56 Sports Training Centres, and 20 Special Area Games which is a one-stop solution to athlete’s overall development. These centers are responsible for measuring an athlete’s performance with the help of world-class infrastructure and technology. Netaji Subash National Institute of Sports, Patiala, Punjab, and Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala are two SAI institutions providing PhD courses in Physical Education and Sports Medicine.
TEAMS (Training of Elite Athlete Management Support) division is responsible to train the elite fleet of athletes. It acts as a backbone of SAI. It basically provides support to National Sports Federations in training the national teams for various games. Inclusion of Foreign Coaches and Experts are some of the key features of SAI. With all these efforts, India has seen major improvements in Olympic sports.
3. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) : The history of forming the IOA goes back to 1920 & 1924. These were the years India wanted to participate in Olympic games. Indian athletes did participate in the Paris Olympics in 1924, with the provisional All India Olympic Committee by their side. It was during 1927 that the Indian Olympic Association was formed. Harry Crowe Buck and Dr. A.G. Noehren took the initiative to form this association and brought sports in India under one umbrella institution. With Sir Dorab Tata financing and supporting the whole project, he became the first Indian Olympic Association President in 1927.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) plays an important role in selecting top players from all over India to represent the country in Olympics and other International games. IOA has given India and the world some great Olympians, who not only succeeded on the world stage but also set an example by creating values for future athletes.
4. Sports Federation of India (SFI): The SFI’s sole responsibility is to promote sports in Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary grades of education in India. SFI supports the central & state government in implementing policies related to sports in India. Promoting sports along with education are the key objectives of SFI. Every game / sport has its own national federation.
Policies regarding development of Sports Training centers, Stadium, Sports Multiplexes and other infrastructure development are drafted by SFI and then proposed to state or central government to pass as a bill in the parliament. It mainly focuses on developing sports in rural areas. Many projects are undertaken in economically backward areas for promoting education, values and sports. Granting scholarships to deserving candidates, teaching foriegn languages to the needy sportsperson and social work are some the key areas SFI works on.
5. State Federation (SFs): Every state in the India has its own sports federation which are further again divided into different games / sports. These federations look after the governing of respective sports in their states. Organising sports events and promoting sports are the major tasks for State Federations. Any individual who wishes to participate in any of the games, he/she needs to be a registered athlete under their respective state federations. Recommending an athlete to the Olympics national team is done by State Federations. SFs recommend an athlete to the National Federation (SFI) and further to IOA. IOA holds the authority to screen and select an athlete for the national team to the Olympics. SFs also recommend the athlete to the State Olympic Association (SOA) which further recommends it to SFI.
6. State Olympic Association (SOA): For all the Olympic sports in the country, every state has its own state Olympic association. SOA goes through the recommendation of the SFs for an athlete, screens them and further recommends it to IOA. They are responsible for development of Olympic Sports in their respective states.
The way India’s sports fraternity is structured and the way the sporting events are organized all year round, it surely inspires the young athletes in the country to actively participate in various games. Overall, this helps in mental and physical stability of the youth of India. Afterall, youth is the power of any nation and me being part of India, understands my responsibilities towards my country and my citizens. Sports has always been a motivational factor for me in life. Whether I am happy or stressed, hungry or full, I indulge myself in a sport, at least for an hour per day. It has helped me gain my senses and work even harder and come back even more stronger. It has inspired me so much, that at the age of 30 years, I resigned from my well paid IT job and today I am on a journey to achieve my dream to work in the Sports Industry. I have pledged to myself that I will always inspire the younger generation of my nation, to take up sports at an early age and make a life out of it. Sometimes, I wonder where to start from, but then I look at the mentioned organizations and thier structure to find my answers.
There’s a huge scope for work in the Indian sports industry. The whole world has its eyes on India. Many sporting leagues of the world see India as the potential market. With a huge physical landscape and population, it is indeed a good source of business. There are companies outside who are looking to invest their money and most importantly they are on a hunt for Indians who can help them achieve their goals. Why not take this opportunity to enter into the sports industry and learn new things, discover new places, meet new people and make your dream life come true. This is a unique way to serve our nation and an opportunity to make India stand tall on the world stage.
If you are still wondering where to start from? Well, start with learning about the sports ecosystem of India. You too will find answers to your question. All the above entities whether national or state, they thrive to create a conducive sporting atmosphere in the country. Their major objective is to promote sports and nurture desired talents.
As Indians, we also have a sole responsibility to understand which games are categorized as Olympic sport and Non-Olympic sport. The table below, gives a clear idea about Olympic & non-Olympic sports that are played in India.
