Is success on the cards for India?
-Rishita, Grade 10A
Author details: Hi, I’m Rishita! I am passionate about reading books and music.

The games have begun! 5 days in, and the US is putting up quite a show with a staggering 27 medals! China is close behind at 17 followed by Japan with 14. Though India still has many opportunities, the situation is not very promising.

With a population of 1.25 billion, it is quite absurd that the Indian subcontinent does not garner Olympic success. At the 2012 games, India managed only 6 medals, 2 silvers and 4 bronze, as opposed to the US (population of 320 million) who won 103. The question now arises, where is India lagging behind?

Fitness is the first and foremost criteria in any endurance activity. Sports-particularly at international level- require immense training. The only way this can be achieved is when athletes are fit and healthy. There is a dearth of proper health, sanitation and education facilities in the country, something that it is paying the price for.

Countries such as the US, China and Great Britain emphasize the need for sports, as part of schooling. Sports are given a priority and subsequent sports amenities and equipment is organized. This is facilitated by the fact that these international governments direct their resources in all spheres, giving equal importance to sports as well. This outlook, however, is not prominent in India. Though India is rapidly developing, sports are still considered a leisure activity- something done to pass time, but not acceptable to be pursued as a career.

Furthermore, due to lack of information and exposure, people lose out on life-changing opportunities such as the Games. General information about the games, opportunities etc are not effectively conveyed to the entire population, such as those in remote areas.

Aside from this, inevitable factors such as unfairness and corruption contribute largely to India’s loss. Raw talent often goes unnoticed due to biases and political potency.  

Should these issues be addressed, India will certainly show a drastic improvement in performance. Lack of adequate facilities and exposure are the fundamental reasons behind India’s unsatisfying performance.
On a final note, we all have immense faith in India’s capability and are hopeful of achieving glory at Rio. Any sport demands physical strength and mental composure – which India has proven to have in the past games!