Bharat is celebrating the massive victory of its athletes at the Asian Games 2023, marked by some of the best-ever performances by the players. Achieving a historic milestone, the nation has reached the magical three-figure mark on the medals tally—a feat not accomplished in the 72-year history of the Asian Games. With Bharat’s medal count in the Asian Games 2023 standing at an impressive 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals, the motto for the athletes, ‘Abki Bar Sau Paar,’ representing Bharat at the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, is a dream that has become a glorious reality today.
The Bharatiya contingent has made the nation proud with their exceptional performances and sportsmanship on the global stage. In recent G20 meetings, Bharat emphasized the need for collaboration through sports, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is taking big steps to position itself as a sports superpower as it gears up for upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024, highlighting it as a symbol of peace, dialogue among nations, and inclusivity.
In the Asian Games 2023, the remarkable performances in track and field, such as Ancy Sojan’s outstanding long jump, Neeraj Chopra’s phenomenal javelin throw, `, and the extraordinary relay run by the men’s team have pushed Bharat to a commendable fourth place in the overall standings.
Bharat has shone brightly even in sports that often receive less attention, such as squash, sailing, windsurfing, equestrian dressage events, and golf, securing several medals.
And this pursuit of medals by Bharat is not solely led by athletes from major metropolitan cities alone…rising sports stars hailing from small towns and hinterlands such as Javelin star Kishore Jena from Odisha’s Kothasahi, Palak Gulia from Haryana’s Jhajjar, Ram Babu from UP’s Sonbhadra, who once worked as a laborer under the Government’s MGNREGA scheme, Avinash Sable from Beed district in Maharashtra, and Sutirtha Mukherjee from West Bengal’s Naihati are just a few of these remarkable names.
How did this transformation become possible?
The Bhartiya government’s unwavering support, through various initiatives and investments in sports infrastructure and training, has played an important role in nurturing our athletes’ talent and honing their skills. The availability of sports facilities, better sports equipment, and opportunities provided by the Bhartiya government at the grassroots level helped the national players and the nation, Reflecting Bharat’s meticulously crafted National Sports Policy that served as a comprehensive framework, outlining the vision, objectives, and strategies for the development and promotion of sports in the country.
Additionally, the government introduced its game-changing Khelo Bharat Scheme, which not only provides a national-level stage for athletes to showcase their talent but also offers them essential economic support for further grooming.
Under the ‘Talent Search and Development’ component of the Khelo Bharat Scheme, grassroots-level talent searches have been organized to identify and nurture young prospects across the country.
Events like Khelo Bharat Youth Games, Khelo Bharat University Games and Khelo Bharat Winter Games were introduced under this movement as annual national sports competitions where youngsters, representing their states and universities, respectively, showcased their skills and competed for medals.
The recent Khelo Bharat University Games were organised in Uttar Pradesh that witnessed the participation of over 4750 athletes from more than 200 Universities competing in 21 sports categories.
SCHOLARSHIPS and FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE by the government for athletes have further eased the financial burdens on aspiring sports persons, allowing them to focus solely on their training and competitions.
While previous governments did not prioritize sports, making it only challenging for children from poorer backgrounds, the middle class, and rural areas to excel in sports, it also led many parents to ignore sports as a viable career option for their young aspirants.
The Commonwealth Games Scam is an example of the corrupt attitude of the earlier government towards sport. In 2010, a significant event which should have been celebrated as a milestone for Bharat’s reputation turned out to be global embarrassment. CWG games which was then executed at a pandemonium budget of 70,000 cr became associated with corruption and several malpractices. It was estimated that only half of the allotted amount was spent on Bharatn sportspersons. Reportedly, the athletes were even asked to shift to shabby apartments from ones that were allotted to them by the authorities.
However, with the Khelo Bharat Abhiyan playing a pivotal role in bringing a major revolution, the overall perception towards sports in general is gradually changing too, and the profession itself is now viewed as an attractive one.
In 2023, the country witnessed its highest-ever sports budget of Rs. 3397.32 crore, marking an 11% increase from the previous year. The BJP Government under PM Narendra Modi over past years, has increased its grants allocation to the flagship Khelo Bharat program. Bhartiya athletes have benefited immensely from global training opportunities funded by the government.
To further enhance Bharat’s performance at the Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports introduced the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
While Bharat’s progress in ASIAN GAMES 2023 is commendable, it is not devoid of challenges. To overcome these challenges, several sports-related startups, supported by the private sector are coming forward to mainstream sports to bridge gaps through innovative solutions.
How do they do it?
These startups use technology to analyze and monitor athlete performance while contributing to the development of both emerging and elite sports talents in the country. Due to such initiatives results are pouring in rapidly, and so is the money!
According to a a recent GroupM report, sponsorship for all sporting activities in Bharat reached a staggering Rs 14,209 crore in 2022, representing a remarkable 49 percent growth compared to 2021.
Furthermore, several private entities are investing in sports leagues. Over the past 15 years, Bharat has witnessed the launch of 15 private leagues, including the Indian Premier League, Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Hockey League, and Global Chess League, among others.
Bharat has made significant strides in sports infrastructure development. These transformative reforms encompass several facets, including the development of world-class stadiums, setting up state-of-the-art training facilities and academies, implementing grassroots-level programmes and introducing policies and initiatives.
Recognising the central role that sport plays in promoting physical fitness, nurturing talent and enhancing national pride, National Educational Policy of Bharat has proposed to integrate sports into the curriculum and the construction of the country’s first National Sports University.
Now…as the Cricket World Cup kicks off in Bharat, all eyes are on the nation. With its vibrant history associated with the game, Bharat’s stature has risen further with the grand success at the Asian Games. With one of the finest teams in the world, newly constructed world-class facilities and stadiums, Bharat boasts not only competence but of accomplishment as it hosts such a colossal event.
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