Transforming India’s Sports Ecosystem for Global Sporting Excellence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68219/pdqayb03Keywords:
Sports Ecosystem, Sports Development, Sports Talent, Youth DevelopmentAbstract
In today’s world, sports are no longer just an entertainment medium or physical activity but have become a powerful tool for Health, Educational Development, Employment Generation, and Social Inclusion, National Pride, Economic Progress, and Youth Empowerment. It has thus been necessary for India, being a large and young country, to create a sound, inclusive, and sustainable sports ecosystem. A sports ecosystem refers to a linked system in which various factors such as sports infrastructure, talent detection, coaching, sports science, medicine, education, competitions, finance, and employment come together to form a whole. Though there is no dearth of sports talent in India, what is missing is an effective system for talent identification, cultivation, and elevation to the international level. Khelo India, Fit India, and the Olympic Podium Scheme are some of the steps taken in this direction. Khelo Bharat Niti-2025, launched in this year, stresses the need for connecting sports to national building, economic growth, social development, and mass movement. This article discusses the importance of creating a strong sports ecosystem in India, its current situation, the main challenges it is facing, the opportunities and ways for developing it. It concludes that a holistic sports system from grassroots sports to elite sports is necessary for India, instead of focusing only on winning medals.
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