Over the years, an increased emphasis on academic learning and scoring marks has led to a skewed attitude towards sport in general. This needs to be countered. Sports not only nourish character but also build nations
India celebrates as one close-knit family as media transmits the nest of first gold medal win by a 16-year young boy from Baghpat. Sport unites, invigorates, energises, motivates and inspires without making any distinction in the name of caste, creed, colour or religion. One painfully recalls how the performance of Indian participants at the Commonwealth Games (CWG-2010) was overshadowed by officials of the sports organisations who converted the event into a playfield for corruption, forgery, nepotism, scams, and scandals.
Things were no secret even earlier — for the aspiring young of India, it was ‘new knowledge’ that the show was being run by non-athletes, particularly by politicians and money bags. People are also aware of the attempts to set things in order in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In short, national level associations/boards responsible for the upliftment of sports and games in our country have never paid much attention to create a widespread culture of sports in India.
There are umpteen instances of individuals holding the reins of sports organisations for more than two decades. One fails to recall when national-level organisations of cricket, hockey, football or volleyball were headed by genuine playersij Why should the BCCI not be run by a three-member team of former Indian captainsij One must hasten to add that the brighter side comes from players and athletes who rise in difficult conditions, reach international levels, and bring glory to the country.
It is refreshing that an Olympic medallist is now the Union Minister for Sports and Games in India. He relates with those sweating on playfields because of his achievements as a sportsperson, augmented by a pleasing personality. He is making genuine efforts to create a culture of games and sports in schools, which is the only way for the nation to reach its full potential in this arena.
Over the years, ever-increasing emphasis on ‘more marks’ in school board examinations has damaged interest and enthusiasm in sports and games amongst children in schools and colleges. The situation is further accentuated by the advent of the Internet, ICT games that can be played in cosy comforts of the four walls, even in isolation. This has to be countered cautiously.
To comprehend the situation, approach and attitude towards sports in schools, one would like to recall a personal experience while holding the position of Director, NCERT. It reveals all about how parents, teachers and schools — exceptions apart — view the importance or otherwise of devoting time to sports and games. One had a lecture assignment in an important coastal city of Andhra Pradesh. As the departure was just next in the morning, an on-the-spot request to address some 300 school teachers and principals was accepted by one. The outside facade of the venue was highly impressive and one’s first reaction was whether it was a five-star hotel.
One was shown all the courtesies and taken around the ‘private high-fee charging multi-storeyed school’ — well-equipped laboratories, well-furnished classrooms, neat and clean lawns, well-maintained toilets. As it was totally a residential school, children were given extra coaching of a few hours every day in the evening. The principal also informed about the meritorious performance of the students in board and competitive exams for entry to IITs, medical colleges and others. I was consistently noticing that no mention was being made of any playground; or children devoting time to sports and games in their regular routine.
When the time came to move to the dining hall, one inquired about games, sports and playfields. The answer said it all: “Sir, we do not waste time on playfields. Parents want their wards to score at the highest level and that requires extra coaching and preparation.” Almost in a state of shock, I took a quick decision not to raise any other query, and better head towards the next item on the agenda — the dinner. But it hurts even now.
One has every reason to believe that this experience is not an exception. In innumerable cases, the situation may be the same, but they may be presenting it otherwise. One can see what happens with 16-18-year-olds who are dispatched to ‘prestigious coaching institutions’ which make them slog continuously for 16-18 hours even without a weekly break. It’s really disappointing that even educated parents sail along with it. The focus in Indian psyche, and hence, in schools is to prepare for a job in a highly competitive world. For the majority of parents and teachers, sports spoil the child. Provisions, like sports quota, have not really made any dent as these — as the impression goes — are ‘usually’ grabbed by the wards of the ‘influential’.
Positive signals to the young come from personalities like MS Dhoni, Mary Kom, Phogat Sisters, Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and several others. Young persons are increasingly realising that they too could be achievers in this sector, it is worth taking the ‘risk’, and there are even lucrative possibilities.
Majority of concerned parents still discourage ‘wasting time on playfields’. Examine any education policy, curriculum framework or school syllabus, emphasis on sports and games would find a very encouraging mention. Revert to schools, there would be provision for physical education, sports and games in the time-table. It is mandatory to appoint physical education teachers. Even in most well-functioning schools, the ‘PT sir’ would often be seen engaging arrangement classes, sports period being utilised to ‘cover the curriculum’.
Richard Bailey of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education wrote on October 16, 2016, that “Sport is a large and rapidly growing sector within the European economy, amounting to three per cent of Europe’s GDP and 3.5 per cent of employment in the EU.” He further states that … multi-disciplinary scientific researchers are also establishing that “the traditional opposition between education and sport is simply mistaken, and that —far from interfering with the business of education — sport can actually make a valuable contribution to it.” He listed nine research findings that show why education needs sports. It has been well-established that physical activity leads to ‘profound and long-lasting changes in brain wiring’ and it directly enhances intellectual activity. That leads to an improvement in mental well-being and increases academic performance. It is well-known even otherwise that sport boosts memory, leads to better concentration, coordination and focus.
Sportspersons ‘learn to live together, strive together and achieve together’. In employment, they are healthier, more efficient and willing to accept extra responsibility. Their motivation levels are high, they move upwards swiftly and their loyalty — learnt and internalised on playfields — never lets them down in the eyes of their employers. Many serve as coaches and inspiration to the younger lot in their mature years. Sportspersons as icons of the young impact millions of lives, the values of young and old alike. The best way, and place, to develop self-esteem, confidence in one’s potential and a wholesome personality is to rush to the playfield, spend time and sweat it out.
In fact, the trinity of ‘head, hand and heart’ is the essence of the philosophical foundation of education. Total personality development is just not possible for anyone if these are ignored or neglected. Acceptance and endorsement of Yoga by the United Nations made every Indian proud. One needs mental strength, which requires physical strength as well. Yoga provides both, and also a control over mind to move in the right direction. Swami Vivekananda had the courage to state that for an 18-year-old, he would suggest playing football instead of reading Gita.
The neglect of physical education, sports and games in our education system resulted only because we ignored such philosophical moorings that were before us. One simply wishes this would not happen in future and India would comprehend the essence of Vivekananda’s words: “The physical weakness is the cause of at least one-third of our miseries. We are lazy, we cannot work; we cannot combine, we do not love each other; we are intensely selfish, not three of us can come together without hating each other…First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of Gita. These are bold words; but I have to say them, for I love you. … You will understand Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger.”
And what is knowledge or education without characterij Gandhiji included knowledge without character as one of the social sins in 1925. In fact, these not only build character, but also reveal it. lawn tennis legend, Billie Jean King, said: “Sport teaches you character, it teaches you to play by rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose — it teaches you about life.” Every child has a natural right to play and this right must get support from all quarters.
(The writer is the Indian Representative on the Executive Board of UNESCO)
