By Dr. K.B. Chinnappa, Retired Professor of Physical Education, Bangalore University
The dismal performance of India in the Rio Olympics-2016 has prompted one to coin a new motto, ‘Physically fit Indians, Olympic fit India’ — May be as a long-term remedial measure to raise the standards of Indian sports to the medal-winning level. India, even though is having ultra-modern sports arena for different sports disciplines, having highly technical modern sports materials, gadgets, kits and personal gears, having sports sciences-oriented teachers, trainers and coaches, having fitness experts, having sports physicians, having sports psychologists, having expert nutritionists, could send only 118 sportspersons out of a staggering population of 121 crore to compete in only 115 sections in 15 sports disciplines out of the available 307 sections in 28 disciplines. Even those 118 sent performed humiliatingly so low that India could win just one silver medal and one bronze medal thus pushing the country to the 67th position among the Olympic medal-winning countries. The problem for the selectors is “All are ineligible, whom to select.” This sad story shows that there is a drastic dearth of sport-fit youth in the country even though the youths form about 30 percent of the total population.
