It is the 53rd National Athletic Meet 2013 at the Nehru Stadium and hundreds of talented national players from the remotest of tribal villages to the biggest of metros have gathered together. World class performances and spectacular events are on the go.
But one look around the stadium and the empty seats are enough for one to understand the state of affairs.
From low media coverage to sloppy organisation and lack of presentation, sportspersons cite a number of reasons for the low turnout. “You are lucky if at least one tenth of the seats are filled. The entry is free and the stadium is located right in the heart of the city. But still it is hard to get an audience. It is the same almost in every place and Chennai is no exception,” says J Antony Joesph, a technical official and former player.
Many feel that the lack of media coverage is the reason behind the low turnout. Athletes point out that while IPL, as an entertainment collective, gets extensive coverage, track and field events rarely get such enthusiasm from the media or the audience. “Everybody wants to be a part of the IPL. But here, our young athletes give such world-class performances, yet there is no one to watch…. And by world class performance, I mean real ‘world’ class, that is 200 countries not 10 countries, says competition secretary Anukumar.
Even the small crowd at the stadium largely comprises friends and relatives of participants. The extension of the vacation till June 10 for schools in Tamil Nadu also accounted for the low turnout, as some schools bring their students to watch such sports meets as part of their physical education training.
“Except for the family and the coaches, there is nobody else present to encourage and clap for us when we win. This is saddening at times,” says V S Sureka, the national record holder for pole vault.
Apart from disappointing performers, the low spectator turnout has also hit sponsorships. This time it was the Tamil Nadu Government that had sponsored `35 lakh for the whole event. This came as a huge relief for the organisers who say that the sum is just a fraction of what is paid to individual cricket players for single matches. “Cricket is a single game, but they get a huge amount for it. But for sports meets like these, where you have an array of events like hurdles, high jump or running race, we don’t even get one sponsor,” rues Tamil Nadu State Athletic Association (TNAA) president Walter I Davaram.
However, some point out that apart from external factors, lack of professionalism in conducting the games has led to the appalling patronage. Tony Daniel, chairman of the Technical Committee, laments that no information is broadcast to the audience to keep them interested, unlike cricket. Athletic meets in India are hardly presented to the audience like cricket or other games, he says and adds, “The presenters at athletic meets often have no information about the player, the highlights of the particular event or the relevance of a record. Half the players won’t even turn up for the game. Even to get the final results, one might have to wait for hours. All this has taken away the excitement of watching the game,” he says.
The performance of the country in athletics on the international stage has also affected viewership. Players say that unprofessional training affects their ability to excel in the international arena, thus making the sport unpopular among the audience.
“Players are burdened with game after game, without any time to focus and make themselves fit for important events. I have participated in eight events in the last three months and I have lost about 7 kgs already. Besides, sometimes you are not provided train tickets and you end up sharing seats, there is no food on the journey. All of these take a toll on your performance,” says a national level player, not wanting to be named.