Indian Sports

How and why do most of us fans expect us to be the worlds best in cricket, as consistently like the Aussies, I do not fathom. All the other teams have fluctuating ranks. At least in cricket we are in the top eight.  Of course if US, China and Germany or Korea start playing, thngs may look different !! The US team may be entirely composed of people of India, Pak or SL origin :-) We are mediocre at best in most of the other sports we play - especially in the Olympics or football or even hockey (where we were in fact at the top for sometime, albeit a long time ago). 

In which other sports are we anywhere near the top with our consistency in cricket? Or is it the other way round?  Let us ask ourselves in which other sports do we participate in message boards like this?  Or have a dedicated TV channel for? That cricketers are making money is a fact - read about IPL or BCCI (Both the “I” s are for India).  It’s because of you and me, people.  We are the ones giving our time reading about cricket, seeing it and talking about it.  India has the richest Board for this sport, a far cry from the state of our economy w.r.t. England or Australia.  We are the customers and they are marketing our eyeballs for cash.  The cricketers are the performers and they wholly deserve this money.  They make only 1% of what a top footballer in an European club makes per year.  From what I see, BCCI is a giant sports management agent.  They are making so much more money than the players that it is enticing even hardcore politicians to play the game. Let BCCI distribute some of its earnings for development of some other sports as well :-) We might as well see resurgence in hockey. How about an Astroturf ground next to every BCCI venue? 

I do not know if there was similar money invested in other sports might we have seen similar excellence or is it that we are genetically suited only for cricket.  I think that there are enough people in India to produce more than the odd world-class sportsperson we have.  We need money - and not like SAI - give the right kind of money to athletes and sportsmen to make more than a decent living.  Let it be like an Academy - like the IAS or IIM and let there be a nationwide entrance test to get in and get the best of coaches and training facilities with full stipend to the players. There can be different academies for different sports. Those selected can be as young as thirteen and tutored to graduate through on-campus schools.  They specialise in their own fields and then go out to complete with the best.  We must be careful of "brawn drain" though :-)