WHAT IS SPORT
TO INDIA?
Pavit Singh. CEO Hotfut sports. WHY sport? - Part 1
Why is the Prime Minister and the entire top brass of our government focusing on sports and games as essential aspects of the nation’s development?
Defying all odds, aligning political parties with a young Olympian as a Sports Minister, the choices of the Sports Minister, budgets and speed of expediting programs like the Khelo India games among other sorts promotion policies, hints at a desperation to act in the interest of sports development. We at HotFut have our theory, and it resounds with our philosophy, our raison d’être, if you may, and it is as simple as the games themselves. But concealed within its simplicity is probably one of the most defining truths towards the building of this nation: participation in sports builds character.
I believe that character and personality, in humans, is built through trials and tribulations. Only when a muscle is pushed to its limit (or temporary failure) does it rebuild stronger. Only when steel is heated to extreme temperatures and then quenched, does it harden.
So it is with character. Only through testing situations and life-altering (in this case character altering) challenges thrown at you, do you come out a stronger, wiser, a more refined person. Unfortunately, in today’s urban inhabited society of abundance and supply not all of us are blessed/cursed with such challenges.
Sports Awareness in India
Sports, however, offers micro doses of such situations. In every competitive game, in every match and tournament, in every victory and every defeat, our character gets mini dozes of lives challenges.
From the pride of victory to the humility of defeat, from the communication breakdown under pressure, to finding collaboration and rhythm through teamwork. From nemesis to friendships every single game is pushing a social, physiological and behavioral development in the participant.
These are skills, traditional academia focused education fails to provide. These are Life skills needed in the everyday existence in a world of people and communities.
The quality of Human capital produced by our current education system is deplorable. The lack of civic sense, apathy to the larger society, whether it be through littering or an enraging lack of traffic sense. All are sure shot signs of a depleted quality of human capital. We are a young nation. In fact, we are the largest, youngest nation with a soon to be an average age of 28 years (by 2025). The sheer potential of this emerging young Indian workforce is frightening to the rest of the world.
Future of Sports in India
Our Prime minister recognizes this power, and the URGENT call to arms to mould his future army of young workers, engineers, doctors, farmers, entrepreneurs, and athletes to become the best version of themselves.
He has recognized the potential of sport in building the ethical, social and behavioral character of our people. He wants to build the quality of human capital in this young Indian workforce. Through sport.
Like our PM we at Hotfut have the same vision. We want to help build the nation, by building up the people in it.
Our simple message GET IN THE GAME is a war cry to get people to move of their sedentary lifestyles as passive consumers of sports to active participants.
To make the young people of our nation physically, socially, psychologically and behaviorally better.