[1]Cricket is definitely no less than religion in the country. And sport stars are almost worshipped here. But surprisingly, India is yet to become a “sporting nation”.
To discover and polish talent, it is necessary to catch them young. Recently, sports minister, Ajay Maken unveiled a draft on National Physical Fitness Programme for school children, according to which, children will be awarded grades for physical fitness from Class 5 onwards.
Chess sensation Tania Sachdev, who just returned with a bronze medal from Chess Olympiad at Istanbul, feels that often talented youngsters have no choice but to choose studies over sports. “Right grooming will certainly bring forth a lot of talent which is a matter of pride for the country,” says the Delhi-girl.
Former tennis champion and CEO Mittal Champion Trust, Manisha Malhotra says that this move, if implemented, will not only give confidence to students to pursue their passion for sports, but will also ensure that they are physically fit right from the childhood. “Around 45 per cent schoolkids are overweight. We need to make kids understand the importance of games right from childhood,” she says.
Says cricketer Aakash Chopra, “The education system here is driven by grades, and now you will get them for sports too. The underlined message here is that games are equally important. And for those students who are very sporty, indoor games can be an option,” he adds.
“It is high time schools, federations and other institutions capitalise on the momentum and share the responsibility and come forward to inculcate a sporting culture in the country,” says Manisha, who represented India in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/play3jpg-269