New Delhi: The government is optimistic that the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics will provide India with a good platform to have the best ever performance in the global event.
Speaking at the “9th Global Sports Summit–TURF 2019”, organised by FICCI, jointly with the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Government of Odisha, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), said that Tokyo 2020 is the immediate target for the government, but there are certain limitations with regard to existing talent. “We can’t create champions overnight as it takes years. Also, we need to ensure that there is an entire infrastructure from training to society support in place,” Rijiju said.
He said that the upcoming Paris Olympics in 2024 and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 will provide a good opportunity to significantly improve India’s performance. “If we can’t prepare for the next eight years, then we have to blame ourselves in terms of making policy, setting directions, channelizing resources. We must ensure that India is no more a country which is not taken seriously in Olympics,” Rijiju added.
He said that there is no lack of resources or talent in the country and invited the corporate sector to invest and reap the benefits. “Sports is glamour as well as big opportunity to do business. There are unlimited opportunities in India, and we must be able to unleash the talent we have,” he added.
Speaking at a panel discussion on the occasion, iTV Network Managing Director Kartikeya Sharma said sports cannot be run by the government. Talking about the challenges, he said: “Exposure is the biggest problem. Of course, training is also required. But we need independent, sustainable business models which can create revenue generation opportunities.”
“Also, we should keep in mind that we cannot import sports from other countries. Take the example of US. They did not import sport but created their own sport. So what is indigenous will see natural growth. See the case of wrestling and kabaddi, which has genuine traction and following on the ground. It is growing exponentially. That’s the reason they outshine sports like football and tennis,” he said.
During the summit, Ajmal Ghani, Senior Advisor to the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Founder of Afghanistan Sports Federation, said that the government has allocated 150-300 acres of land in eight different zones to be built and invited Indian companies to invest in the sports sector. He said that Afghanistan has some of the most liberal investment laws.
Tusharkanti Behera, Sports Minister of Odisha, said that the launch of “Fit India” campaign has made a significant impression on the masses. The state is also setting up various training centers to target the youth. Radhey Shyam Julaniya, Secretary, Department of Sports, Government of India, said that when fitness industry grows, all things associated with it, whether it is apparel or food industry also grow, and these developments will lead to growth in infrastructure.
Sandip Somany, president, FICCI, said that India is the youngest country in the world. This demographic dividend is set to play a big role in making India a $5 trillion economy and fitness will be a critical element in achieving this target, he said.
FICCI-Koan Advisory Knowledge Paper “Federated Growth-Unleashing India’s Sports Economy” and FICCI-IISM Knowledge Paper “Weighing Up Fitness: Deep Insights on Indian Fitness Trends” were also released during the event.