[#11] Asian Games 2023: #IsBaar100Paar and what it really means for India
I’ve been watching the Asian Games over the last week. And I was blown away.
This year the Asian Games took place in China, and we - India - had a target of 100 medals. The hashtag for the event was #IsBaar100Par, which translates to: “This time we will cross a hundred.” The last Asian Games, we won 69 medals.
But it is not just the fact that we have got more than a 100 medals. In the 2018 Asian games we finished 8th. As per the final medal standings we’re in 4th position,with 107 medals, behind China (386), Japan (186), and Republic of Korea (190). It’s also worth noting that the rankings are based on the gold medals won, and not the overall medal count, which is why Japan ranks ahead of Korea despite having 4 less medals. (You can check out the medal & standings here.)
From top left: Parul Chaudhary, Avinash Sable
From bottom left: KK Jena, Ancy Sojan, Vithya Ramraj, Prachi Choudhary, Subha Venkatesan, Aishwarya Mishra
But hearing about some of the stories of the athletes who participated made me realize that there is so much further to go.
Parul Chaudhary, gold medalist in 5000m, and silver in the 3000m steeplechase, made a statement about how gold medal winners in UP get DSP status, and that’s what motivated her to overtake the race leader in the last few seconds to win gold in the 5000m.
The silver medallist in Asian Games 2023 javelin, KK Jena, talked about how he's just happy that his family will be taken care of now.
And it’s not just athletics, but other sports also. Tennis players like Sumit Nagal are barely making ends meet because whatever prize money they make has to be reinvested back into the sport, for travel, gear, coaches, and accommodation.
And I remember when Sportzlive had set up the Indian Boxing League (2019). When the boxers heard we were setting up the league, they , “Finally humare liye kuch accha hoga.” And I’ve had the chance to first hand see how the Premier Badminton League (another Sportzlive property) supported Indian badminton players, the visibility & the money that they receive allows for brand deals, sponsorship monies, which all goes into their training, and supporting their families.
The only way sports in India will grow is when sports in India is seen as a job that can actually help an athlete support their family, and it isn’t just a career for the elite. This is a perception that sadly exists today. I remember when I dropped out of school to pursue tennis full time. I’d be asked what I was doing, and people didn’t seem to understand that I was pursuing sports full time. Conversations such as “Yes we know you play tennis, but what do you do?” were something that I had to deal with.
What makes Parul Chaudhary and KK Jena, and all our other athletes achievements creditable is that they have done it despite the lack of resources available in the country. Which begs the question: imagine if there were resources available?
Several research papers published have noted the correlation between a country’s performance in international sports events (such as the Olympics, Asian games, Commonwealth games), and things such as:
Population: A higher population increases the chances of having medal winners. However if this was the only case, India should be right up there with the likes of China & USA, so obviously there are other correlators
Income per capita: Another obvious correlation is to the income per capita, since this speaks to the amount of resources that a country can invest into the sports infrastructure & training.
Corruption index: More corruption = more misappropriation of funds which should go to athletes, and lack of merit based systems to select and train athletes, which results in less than optimal performances.
Political systems: This is an interesting one - a report on the 2020 Olympics, measure correlation between medals won and the political stability indicated that countries that are more politically stable do better at international events. (link to article here)
India has so much potential and so much talent, which in the past has not been supported because of corruption, misappropriation of funds and lack of government support. There have been examples of how these events are used as an opportunity by officials to have a nice holiday instead of sending coaches, and physios to keep athletes at their best level of performance.
We have the population. Our income per capita is growing. We have a stable government. And the steps we’re taking seem to be in the right direction when we look at the number of unicorns, funding, and innovation that is happening here.
Centrally allocated funds: National camps, and the corruption index play a role here
Corporate funds: This is a function of viewership & “heroes” that sports can produce. More heroes = more viewership = more brands = more money = more money going into sports = more athletes and so on.
India needs to not just central allocate funds, but make private investment into the sports ecosystem in India more efficient. While government allocation in funding to sports has grown, corporate funding has still remained low.
Although steps are being taken in the right direction. For this edition of the Asian Games, the sports ministry has reduced the number of “additional officials” and team managers, and has emphasized on the need to have more physiotherapists, foreign coaches, high-performance directors (HPDs) and, in a first, a mental coach (Anthony Upton in hockey) traveling with the athletes. (Details about this can be seen here ) Government spending on sports has been rising over several years. Expenditure on the Department of Sports under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has increased from Rs 657 crore in 2011-12 to around Rs 1,749 crore in 2021-22. According to budget estimates, this has gone up further to Rs 2,123 crore in 2022-23.
But this is not enough. CSR funding to sports is paltry compared to that.
Source: Moneycontrol
There have to be systems in place, not just for central allocation, but policies, and processes allowing privately funded events, such as sports leagues, a wider application of company CSR funds. In 2016 the scope of permissible sports CSR activities was expanded by means of a notification to include “creation and maintenance of sports infrastructure, upgradation and renovation of existing sports facilities, and sports science support including setting up of gymnasiums and rehabilitation centres.” (Source: link)
Sponsorship of one-off events such as marathons, awards, charitable contributions, advertisements, and TV sponsorships etc. and activities undertaken in the normal course of business were specifically excluded. But here’s an idea. Include them. Impose guardrails around this, for example:
That this can only happen for recurring events, over a period of 5 years, for “non-cricket sports.”
Some % of this money has to directly or indirectly go to athletes & investing in infrastructure for the event.
Sports Leagues are a great example. They are recurring events, which bring in viewership. They build the ecosystem, and provide a way for people to understand and engage with the sport. Look at what the Pro Kabaddi League has done for its players, and for the sport. From a player’s perspective, leagues are viewed very favorably by players, because it gives them an opportunity to get paid and build their brand in front of audiences, which invariably attracts more investment into sports.
Our athletes are representing our country at the highest level. These sports events are a source of prestige for not just the country, but for the individual Indian. When Satwik & Chirag won the gold medal in the Asian Games, especially with a closely fought first set, I was watching the match and cheering for every point. And that feeling of watching our athletes stand on the first podium, seeing the emotions on their face, and hearing the national anthem play is unparalleled.
We owe our athletes so much more. We need to do right by them.