A dream to chase!

Emergence of sports as a lucrative industry and its growing relevance call for greater synergy among sports entities, government, and other stakeholders to build India's own inclusive and just model

- KDP RAO

While celebrating the achievements of our athletes in Paris, we seem to willingly overlook the underperformance of the country in the Olympics. Apparently, we tend to seek consolation in interpreting the 'not so good' performance as not so bad' as jingoism pumps excessive adrenaline. It is like settling for a lamp post after aiming for the sky. India, the most populous nation in the world with an enviable 34 per cent youth population, is behind even countries like Iran, Kenya, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Grenada, and Jamaica-not only in the tally of medals but even in participation. When the US sent 600 athletes and a small country like Japan more than 400, India sent only 117. It's a shame that while India is a global leader in various fields, its story of sport is an embarrassing aberration.

The success of most countries like the US, China, the UK, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Italy-who bagged gold, silver, and bronze in double digits-is attributed to their world-class sports infrastructure and a progressive sociocultural narrative that encourages and grooms athletes from formative ages-an ecosystem conspicuously absent in developing countries like India, not to mention the mismanagement and lack of accountability in sports institutions. India needs to learn from these leading sporting nations in order to better its performance at LA in 2028.