“To become a top sporting nation, we need to first become a physically active nation”

What is your assessment of the quality of sports education provided in schools and colleges countrywide?

Physical or sports education in schools and colleges has come a long way. The quality of trainers/ coaches has improved massively though there is much left to be done. We often neglect physical education (PE) teachers’ critical role in a child’s growth given that the values inculcated through them are beyond classroom learning. We need to ensure that trainers are qualified and equipped to enable students’ holistic development.

Do you think sports has evolved from a hobby to profession?

Sport has gradually evolved over the years from a hobby to a profession. The apprehension that came with choosing sports as a career in my time was much higher; today there are far more opportunities in the sports industry. I think the pandemic played a huge role in the realisation of the importance of sports and physical activity for leading a healthy life. Today, if you are not a successful athlete, you could still attach yourself to the game by being part of the ecosystem. With multiple career opportunities in sports like sports sciences, management, technology and many more coming up every day, it is no longer a hobby. 

A country of 1.4 billion people has managed to produce only a handful of Olympic medalists. What do you think we need to do to change that?

I think it’s incredible what we have achieved as a nation in recent years. The Olympics and Paralympics movements have created enormous awareness about the importance of sports and games. However, to become one of the top sporting nations, we need to first become a physically active nation. We need to be physically active as a society and increase participation across all levels and age groups. Sport is beyond winning medals and this mindset must be set in society, starting with children in schools.

What in your opinion is the key to nurturing a generation of physically fit and sporting young Indians?

Sustainable infrastructure and accessibility are key; however, our lifestyle is equally important. Physical activity should be a family event where all members are playing a sport of their choice while spending quality time with each other.

What’s the importance of sports in your life, from school onwards? Who was your inspiration in choosing a career in cricket? How supportive were your parents and school?

For me, sport has played a huge role in shaping my personality. In my school days before I got into cricket, I used to play hockey but soon enough I realised I was not cut out for it and luckily had cricket to fall back on.

I have been very fortunate that throughout my career, I have had an enabling ecosystem. Whether it was my school or family, they encouraged me and created a positive environment that allowed me to focus on my career. The one thing about my school that stood out was that they always gave equal weightage to academics and sport which naturally made me believe that one was not above the other allowing students to flourish in both.

Your advice to budding child sports athletes?

In today’s day and age, the pressure on budding athletes is far more now than what it was a couple of years ago. I think more than the athletes, my advice to parents is to avoid putting pressure on their children while they pursue a sport. Let them have fun while competing and most importantly, allow them to fail. We put so much focus on success that we often forget the importance of learning to fail graciously, at a young age.

What is the objective of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence? And how satisfied are you with its progress?

The centre was created to provide athletes world-class facilities to enable them to compete at all levels. In its fifth year of operation, the centre gives me a lot of joy to see how far we have come in promoting sports. It has not only produced some of the finest athletes competing at the international level but has also catered to the development of sport at the grassroots level. We hope to continue the momentum of promoting sport at all levels.

Also read: Use technology but don’t shun sports, social life: PM to students