NEW DELHI: In India, where cricket is a reigning religion, other sports are struggling to make their presence felt. In its efforts to change the scenario, the Union sports ministry has taken up an initiative to promote games such as wrestling, football, kho-kho, basketball. For which, it plans to open four academies in each state. Corporates such as Reliance, Tata, Mahindra and Mahindra have expressed their cooperation with CSR funds.
“We have floated this idea with every state to open this kind of academy. Rajasthan and Maharashtra have shown their ready interest. This will not only encourage youngsters to take up other sports but also provide a platform to present them,” sports minister Vijay Goel told The Sunday Standard. The objective is to take sports to every doorstep and to make sports a part of people’s lives, Goel added.
Eyeing the Olympics 2020 in Tokyo, even the Prime Minister is determined to send more than double the athletes India has sent this time to Rio, in order to increase the medal tally. For Rio, India has sent 118 sportsperson, the biggest Indian contingent ever.
The Union sports ministry is planning to promote other sports than cricket through academies so that India increases the prospects of Olympic medal counts.
The ministry also plans to set up special academies for women, where girls are encouraged to take up sports as a career. To bring other sports into the forefront, the government has also urged Bollywood producers and directors to make movies related to other sports and their personalities.
The ministry is also in talks with companies such as Tata, Reliance, ITC, Mahindra & Mahindra for providing funds for these academies. Goel said: “I have met industry heads from FICCI, CII, Assocham and chiefs of a few companies. They have assured me to cooperate from their CSR funds.”
Maharasthra is already working on a special basketball academy.