Society has to give athletes a safety net

PULLELA GOPICHAND, the chief national coach of the Indian badminton team, sparked a debate when he said in a recent interview that only children from rich backgrounds should take up sports.

- BY P. AKASH

He later clarified that the headline did not capture the nuanced nature of his argument, and that he never meant that those from financially weaker homes should not pursue a sporting career. In an interview with THE WEEK, the former All-England champion spoke at length about the debate, and the need to have a safety net for athletes. Excerpts:

Q/Was there a specific incident that prompted your statement or has it been on your mind for a while?

A/ People who've known me would know that this has been always on my mind. I would speak about this at most meetings; the need for kids to play sport and also have exit strategies for those who don't make it. But the fact is that you want the Olympic cycle to finish, tournaments to finish [before bringing up such a topic]. Sometimes when you speak with somebody for an hour, and they have limited space in the newspaper, then the [catchy] headline actually sparks off a larger debate. So, in hindsight, I'm okay with it because it has at least made me speak up on what I've always thought was very, very important.

Q/What has been your takeaway from the reactions to your statement?

A/ People who have read the entire article or followed what I've been saying from day one would understand that this is a larger issue, and it's not about me saying that kids from the middle- or lower-middle class should not take up sports.

Q/As an athlete and a coach, you know chances of success in sports are slim. How do you tell young athletes that they might not make it?