Every Indian plays a crucial role in improving India's World Ranking in Sports

During every World championship, a lot of questions are asked following the disappointing overall performance of India, and rightfully so. Our teams often come back to an angry and disheartened audience and we tend to express our disappointment even at our diligent players.

Let’s take a quick look at our world rankings to see where we stand:

• The Indian Tennis Team ranks 23rd in the world.
• The Indian Men’s Volleyball Team ranks 34th out of 127 nations.
• The Indian Women’s Volleyball team ranks 100th out of 113 playing countries.
• The Indian Basketball team is ranked 61st out of the 85 nations.
• In the latest FIBA ranking report our Rugby team is at the 74th position out of 102 playing nations.

(Source: SportsKeeda)

While every citizen of India has a right to question, we also need to collectively shoulder the responsibility of our current standing in sports . It is up to us to build a culture of sports in India and to uplift the fledgling sporting scenario of India, and the first step towards this is to change our perception about sports.

Here are a few simple ways in which each and every one of us can help build a culture of sports in India:

Encourage children to participate in sports

It is not necessary that every child has to become great sportsperson. Yet this will go a long way in creating a positive impression about sport in their minds, and they also get an opportunity to figure out if at all they are genuinely interested in pursuing sports. This is how children can identify their passion for a particular sport and hone their talent. An additional benefit, needless to add, is children adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Make Local Sporting Events More Accessible and Commonplace

Often there are several local sporting events held in our own neighbourhood and we don’t hear of it. Keep an eye out for them through your local newspapers, or the governing bodies or sports clubs in your neighbourhood. In case there’s a lack of these events, people can get together and organise more of such events to give a chance to more people to participate.

Position sports stars as role models

Every child idolises a pop star, a movie star or any other celebrity. However, not every kid grows up idolising sports stars as their role models. Expose children to more success stories of sports athletes and inspire them with their talent, dedication and their success.

Perceive and respect sports as a rewarding career option

A child or a teenager will be automatically motivated to better one’s game if they are nurtured with such positive thoughts about sports.

The status of sports in India will not change overnight. However, small steps taken by each of us will take us to a point where we finally start to see improvement. The onus is on each citizen to start moving in this direction. Within the family itself we can begin to introduce sports. Playing together as a family will be a child’s initiation into sport, which can further be carried into his/her growing up years and finally, adulthood.

While these are a few steps to start a change at a personal level, to build a culture of sports we need to also affect a change at a national level. We as the citizens must make sure that we have a system that supports sports, and what better way to do that than by making sports a compulsory subject in schools?

We believe that only when sports becomes a part of our school curriculum, will the status of sports be elevated in our society. If children were to take part in sport daily in their formative years, we are raising a generation of youth conscious, aware and naturally inclined to sports.

To make this change possible we are petitioning the HRD Ministry to make sports education a compulsory subject in schools.

Join the movement and sign the petition to help make this possible:

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!