The Four-Year Spotlight: Why India Needs A Better Sports Policy 

While India’s sportsmen and women shine at Commonwealth or Asian Games, the Olympics still continue to be seemingly out of reach. 

More than the Olympics, the four years between the two Games are crucial—that is where the ground work needs to be boosted for medals through the struggle and preparation of athletes. 

The nation cannot just be an outcome-driven society, without trying to back the gruelling effort that is required for success at the world stage. 

What Is Holding Us Back 

Indians who compete on level playing fields abroad, as immigrants or students, often succeed, which is a living proof of our capability. So, if Indians are as hardworking, as capable, and as competent as the rest, then what holds us back in the arena of sports?

With a population of almost a billion and a half people, any statistician would reveal that the nation would have offer a large talent pool. Whether it’s hidden in rural areas with limited access to facilities or restrained by an academic-driven family culture that wouldn’t dream of a child succeeding in sports as a profession. 

Our culture as a nation, to prioritise academics at the cost of everything else, closes the potential to excel in sport and athletics.

Need To Nurture Sports 

Other than cricket, there is an uncertainty surrounding a professional career in sports in India. It stems from a lack of sufficient support at the ground level. Only the athletes that excel at international level are assured of financial independence and accolades. 

Those who go against the odds and find a way to become the best in the country not only deserve financial support to cover their extensive training expenses, but they also need to be able to secure their future through sport. 

The short-lived nature of a professional sporting career can be scary. It can be an expensive pursuit and, when compared to the alternative of settling down with a stable job, seems financially foolish. 

The government needs to put in place a system to provide this support to our best athletes. The system should be such that an athlete doesn't need to worry about how they’ll look after their families when their short career ends. 

How Other Nations Do it

Countries like China, the US, and even much smaller nations have come to dominate the medal charts at every major event. This continues decade after decade,  while India struggles to keep up. 

What is it that separates us from the best? Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t our genetics holding us back. Our eating habits? Most definitely. But not our genes. Countries across the globe, whether it’s the African nations with leaner builds or the Asian nations with shorter heights, always find their forte. They discover the sports where their genetics become strengths. There are no “better” genetics, only different ones.  

India Needs To Wake up 

To take advantage of the fact that we have the largest pool of humans in the world, the sports policy needs to evolve a system for better talent identification programmes. 

Moreover, a cultural ethos needs to be evolved where schools provide students with the chance to explore multiple sports and discover their own leanings. This exposure will naturally increase the number of elite athletes the nation produces.

By investing in world-class sporting facilities, structured programmes, skilled coaches, and proper support staff, a comprehensive sports policy can build a more competitive sporting ecosystem for students in schools and universities. 

Giving them a platform to compete within their school, inter-school, and inter-collegiately — on top of existing district, state, and national events — will nurture a sporting culture that feels intentional. 

India's corporate sector, too, has a crucial role to play. To help our top athletes compete on the world stage and secure their futures, we need strong prize money incentives, sports contracts, local leagues, sponsorships, and brand deals. 

Companies should strive to partner with Indian athletes to represent their brands. Instead of signing already well-established actors and influencers who bring little soul or authenticity, brands should take pride in associating with our best athletes — those who embody the values and beliefs of the brand.

In a country as diverse as ours, discovering brand ambassadors who genuinely represent and live their values is rare, and much needed now more than ever. Even brands not directly linked to sport can find athletes who connect with their story through shared experiences, backgrounds, and cultures. 

This is not an overnight task. These things take time, careful planning and execution. India is far behind its competitors because they took these steps long ago. Time is of the essence and a slow and steady process needs to be set in motion to secure more qualifiers, more finalists, and eventually, more medalists.

If India wants more medals in 2028, the nation needs to make an effort today — and every day until the Los Angeles Olympics. 

(The writer is one of India's top swimmers. Views are personal.)