A very Unconventional Minister in the New Modi Cabinet, But wasn’t it something all of us wanted? From a very long time

There are three things that sum up a super power which includes military, economy and geographical gigantism with strategic location. India seems to be blessed with these three essential elements to bid for this prestigious tag. We went nuclear in 1998 to evolve as someone to reckon with. Our economy is one of the fastest, especially after the gates of liberalisation were opened in 1992. Lastly, we are huge with multicultural, multi linguistic parameters resting on the Indo Gangetic peninsula. Now when America transformed itself into a superpower, these very same factors were responsible for it to grow. However, they also boasted another factor being a champion across sporting arena that is fundamentally eluding our country. Our rival to the superpower pageant, the Republic of China too is an emerging sporting beast. But we still are a tortoise may be started but still miles to go and pick up.

India has these three above mentioned ingredients to cook itself into a super power. An inborn potential was developed into promising potency. However, in sports we were a bit tad late. On the contrary here too we are self-sufficient with immense potential. But not enough was done to exploit it. Exploitation was always proceeding in the wrong direction directed by the administrators. The facilities, infrastructure and the training aspects provided to sporting heroes have rarely improved.

The common wealth games hosted in Delhi was a perfect setting to reboot and reset our fortunes in sports. However, this opportunity was diverted to looting where scams and Kalamadi dashed hopes of dreaming such a revival. Again, even here Mr Kalamadi was a political appendage. You cannot expect a politician not to eat the pie when it is served deliciously in front of him. The same thing happened in lieu with CWG. From popular Cricket to even Kabaddi, the games are played by sportsmen but its resources and associations are preyed by people in polity who are never interested in the development of it.

When disparity between cricket and other sports now seems to dissolve, there is one more factor that may have eluded sports in the country. Sports administration at the top has always being spearheaded by hardcore politicians who have no knowledge of the same. Perhaps with respect to some of them even the intentions may have been noble, but the level of expertise required in lieu with reviving sports may be lacking with politicians appointed as sports minister. We had a time when Sunil Dutt was the sports and youth affairs minister.

Sporting associations were still enveloped by the politicians who cannot think for the game. Praful Patel heading football federation and Yashwant Sinha doing the same with respect to archery in the past were examples of why we are not in the right direction with regards to sports. Even cricket where we enjoy unanimous clout still has harboured politicians to administer it in spite of having churned legends in the game.

Finally we have a slightly unconventional but a great step which may substantiate into giant leap of reforms in to Indian sports. A sportsman in the form of Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has been appointed as the sports minister of the country.

The Sporting fraternity of India is elated:

Going by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pronouncement on India’s desire to excel in the Olympic Games and broad-basing sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore may have to revolutionise these two key areas for starters. What sets Rathore on a different angle and tangent is the fact that he himself is a sportsman. He must be well versed with respect to firsthand accounts with all the shortcomings and sticky ends which Indian sports is encountering.

Firstly, when it comes to problems, finances have a major say in the arena of sports. We have athletes who work 9 to 5 in a job and then undergo training and practice for the games. Financial independence is something which is the need of the hour. We can replicate UK’s model for the same. UK had only one medal in 1996 Atlanta Olympics. It was the countrys worst performance in 44 years. In Rio de Janerio 2016, they finished at the topmost layer in the medals tally. UK focused on sports by providing millions of pounds in development funds and a ruthless no compromise principle was undertaken to punish sports that didn’t perform. UK sports provided individual funding which further provided impetus to the growth of sports in their country. The same aspect can be implemented here and for that vision, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore seems to be the right man for the job to spearhead the same as he will be well acquainted with the nitty gritty of sports. The same attribute in finances should be seen in rewarding sportsmen after they perform terrifically at the international level which will help in harnessing more talent.

Secondly, Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore will need to break the shackles of bureaucracy which have clouded sports in the country. He will have to prune and connect all stakeholders with respect to Ministry and its departments, the Indian Olympic Association and the National Sports Federations to steer them all into contributing into sports rather than politicising. The IOA fiasco is well known in terms of the way corrupt cronies of Kalamadi had ruled the roost. Rathore will need to cleanse the system of such paralysing administrators.

Thirdly, sporting infrastructure needs a major overhaul which could set a system in place to churn more champions in the field. This should also create more knowhow and facilities with regards to sports at the grass root levels to cultivate sports as a life style and to inculcate a competitive leverage. Changes need to be looked at several levels. The young minds in the primary and secondary schools as well as colleges need to be inspired to look at sports in utter seriousness and facilities and its standards will play a major role. Rathore who had won silver in Olympics will be aware of the same and his sporting expertise will help in the long run in realising the necessary.

Fourthly, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will have to do what PM Modi did with clean India campaign. He will have to work towards realising that sports gets that necessary awareness in ensuring that it is selected as a career option rather than just a part time functionary. Having a sports background will help him creating that as he may have encountered pitfalls in his own career when he rose as a formidable sportsman at the international level. Rathore can make sports as a movement with burning campaigns and effective advertising machinery. (his stint in Information and broadcasting may help)

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has spoken about how the lack of political will has affected sporting governance in the country. He is now in the formidable position to convince the Union Cabinet that the National Sports Bill, which is lying dormant in cold storage, will have to see the light of the day. For that, he will first have to ensure a draft that is broader in its scope and deeper in its approach to sports governance.

It will also be important that Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore now renews India’s war against doping, which has harmed the careers and sporting interests in the country. For the same, he can ensure that athletes are educated and for that centres can be established to realise the same. Anti doping movement should provide a fresh impetus in discouraging hopefuls from taking them and stricter punishments should be handed over to those who indulge in doping mechanisms to get better results.

Among the challenges Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will face in the Ministry is the need to have a look at the selection process of the National Sports Awards from nominations to handing the awards to winners. This overall scheme of things needed a sporting experience and perspective which Rathore as a celebrated past Olympian will be well versed into it.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore created history when he won a silver medal for shooting in Olympics on the field. Now he will have to make history off the field in administration which is a more daunting forte.

As Nirmala Sitharaman broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first full time woman defence minister, Rathore being appointed as a sports minister is nothing more than revolutionary. Moving over all debacles of the past like Kalamadi, sports finally is seeing light at the end of the tunnel.