Come Olympics or the Football World Cup, there is no cheer for the Indian sports fan. At the end of the event, India's medals tally is minimal. Only in cricket does India's name figure in the world arena. Though a few sportsmen have done well in events like chess, shooting, boxing and tennis, there is a lot of room for improvement.

Here, it is opportune to examine some of the reasons which have contributed to this state of affairs. Lack of adequate facilities in the smaller towns and villages as compared to cities are a major factor. It is not without reason that till recently, most cricketers and other sportsmen of note came from metros like Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore. Most of the smaller towns and villages in the country lack facilities such as play grounds for cricket and other field sports, swimming pools, billiards and snooker clubs and clubs having sporting facilities. The attitude of the school and

college managements in promoting sports in their institutions are also lack luster. It is worthwhile to take a note of the observation by the Union Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry and the University Grants Commission, "Of the 800 million youth in the country, 700 million have no or marginal access to sports and games facilities-there is a lack of adequate effort to spot and nurture talent from an early stage." The Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has remarked that " in the international arena, India's showing is the most pathetic among all countries of comparable size, that has a great deal to do with talent-spotting and talent-nurturing being confined to a very small fraction of our total youth population."

The huge importance given to cricket by the media and the amount of revenue which is generated from the game has also resulted in most of the support from corporate bodies going to cricket. Other sports have to depend on the government for assistance. In recent years, there have been good performances by Indians in other sporting events like tennis, boxing, shooting and chess. However, cricket still rules the roost.

It is a common sight in India to find parents pushing their children to excel in academics. Even children who show promise in sports are not given much encouragement, but are advised to concentrate on their studies. Many a promising sportsman thus devote most of his or her time to boring classrooms and dry text books.

This state of affairs can certainly be set right. Sporting facilities such as cricket grounds, football stadiums, badminton courts, table tennis courts, swimming pools, and athletic tracks should be constructed all over the country, including rural areas. Of course, this will entail a lot of expenditure, and this has to be sourced partly from the corporate sector. Scouts from national sporting bodies should be sent across the length and breadth of the country to spot and nurture talent from early stages. Coaching facilities at reasonable rates should also be made available everywhere. Here, the example of Bangalore may be mentioned. Bangalore has lot of play grounds, parks and gardens all over the city. It is a common sight to find youngsters playing cricket and other sports in these grounds every day. This is no doubt one of the reasons that the state has produced so many internationally known players like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and others. The numerous billiards and snooker clubs all across the city is also undoubtedly one of the reasons that internationally known players like Pankaj Advani have emerged from here. Recently, there has also been an upsurge in institutions

who provide coaching in different sporting activities in this city. There is a big market for providing coaching facilities, training and in holding major sporting events, which is yet to be tapped and this opportunity should be seized by the corporate sector. Parents, too, should provide all necessary support to children who show promise in sports.

India's performance in the international sporting arena does leave a lot to be desired at present. However there certainly are signs of hope. Once arrangements are made to provide proper facilities all across the country, and systematic efforts are made to discover and promote talent from an early stage, the situation can certainly be remedied. It is very much within India's reach to become a leading sporting nation in the world in the not too distant future.