The second most populous country in the world, India, whose population is more than 1.3 billion, is very weak in sports. It historically has trailed other large countries in the medal count in Japan. What is the reason for India struggling for medals in the World Cup, in the Olympics, in the Asiad games or in other sporting events. There is a big question in front of all countrymen. All countrymen will have to think about this.
If we turn the pages of history, there was no archer like Arjuna, Eklavya. What to say in the race when it is known that Hanuman ji used to walk at the speed of thought or mind. Prithvi Raj Chauhan and Maharana Pratap had no break in sword fighting. Krishna’s name is paramount in the game of ball. I don’t know how many names will be written in the pages of history. Even after all this, why have we become so behind? Let’s think a little about where we have come from. In our country, a day was specially fixed for sports, that is Nag Panchami, on which people used to participate in the games in the villages. The one who never played, also used to participate in the sports competition on the day of Nag Panchami, which is also called Pachaiyan. People used to practice and perform well in advance to participate in Nag Panchami. Children, youths, and older people used to participate in sports. But nowadays, almost all the old things have been lost or forgotten. No one wants to understand its seriousness. Because of this our health used to be good, we used to be fit and healthy.
Everything was fine in India till the 10th century, but since the attacks started on India from the northwest and their form was religious as well as looting, then our culture, heritage, customs all started getting affected. People continued to save their heritage and identity and gradually went on forgetting everything or saying that they forgot.
The British did the same thing, and they broke the sports system in such a way that people started fighting for their living. All the energy started to be put in the liberation of slavery, the British played or sheltered the game according to their own. The whole of India has become a place to be robbed. Our ancestors were engaged in saving themselves. If they did, some of the traitors of India does very bad. These traitors caused big damage to the country as much as the attackers could not.
Today, after independence, people paid some attention to sports, but the government could not pay much attention, the big reason was to bring the country on the path of development after slavery. But this government’s attitude continued, the officials whose responsibility was to promote it were also not serious, due to which we stay in same position. Now the government has started paying a little attention, but people do not want to bring their sons and daughters into sports, they give importance to studies. All attention remains in job or business. Now the internet has done the same thing, studying in closed rooms, online classes are making the children more paralyzed, the whole game is now limited to laptop or mobile, who should go to the field. Some young people practice running, jumping etc. But their practice is limited to getting the job of soldier, army and they do not want to link it with their future, while there is a quota of jobs in every department for sportspersons, railways, army. Special importance is given to sportspersons in police.
Despite having such a large population in such a big country, people will have to be aware of sports and medals will come to us with a bag, just we should understand the importance of sports.