Chants of “Indiaaa! Indiaaa!” filled the K. D. Jadhav Stadium in March, with the din reaching a crescendo as the ring announcer declared Lovlina Borgohain the champion in the 75kg category at the IBA Boxing World Championships. As Lovlina had her arm held aloft, India closed its Women’s World Boxing Championship with four gold medallists: the other three being Nitu Ganghas (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), and Saweety Boora (81kg).
The sea of flying flags, the throngs of jubilant spectators, and the loud decibel level they generated at the stadium were clear indications that Indian sport has begun to step out from under the shadow of cricket.
India has, for a very long time, been known as a cricketing nation, despite succeeding in the Olympics much before cricket gained mass popularity. The country had different States excelling in different sports. Maharashtra was known for its wrestling prowess, Punjab produced hockey greats, and South India packed a punch with strong and technical boxers. However, when the Indian market opened itself to foreign investment in the 1990s, cricket grew tenfold, courtesy of BCCI’s marketing strategy and Sachin Tendulkar as the poster boy. Olympic sports in India, meanwhile, have often struggled to find a face.
An inspirational face the common public can relate to is probably the most critical factor in boosting the popularity of the sport. But it’s also true that the public must be able to access that role model. And what better place to do so than a high-profile sporting event?
In recent years, there have been more than a few Indian sportspersons who have the ability to become the icons that non-cricket sports need. Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo helped draw attention to sports other than cricket. Everyone has their own story about Neeraj’s gold medal. Some people witnessed history in the making with their families, while others experienced it through radio and television. He became the face that Indian Olympic sports had craved for decades.
Neeraj isn’t the only one, though. At the Tokyo Olympics, India won another six medals. Of them, just three — P. V. Sindhu (badminton), the Indian men’s hockey team, and Lovlina — have competed in India since the Olympic Games.
It is now more important than ever to bring big events home. It is not like India had not previously hosted mega-events. The country hosted the Asian Games twice (1951 and 1982), the Commonwealth Games in 2010, and multiple world championships across sports including hockey, boxing, and shooting.
With the rise in the fan following of Olympic sports, India can benefit a lot — apart from the obvious bragging rights — if it can host major competitions like world championships or multi-discipline Games.
Hosting such competitions is a huge exposure for a host country in terms of tourism, foreign trade, jobs, and the potential for new development. From ticket and merchandise sales to corporate sponsorship, there are plenty of potential earning opportunities at events like the Hockey World Cup or the Boxing World Championships.
Hosting big events also makes sense from the athletes’ developmental pathway perspective since it provides exposure on how to handle pressure, especially when they are competing in front of their home crowd. These big events on home soil become a source of national pride and can prove beneficial in promoting sports in a country that is otherwise only known for its cricketing prowess.
These international competitions can also become an eye-opener for the stakeholders. They get to see different types of athletes showcasing their skills on the grand stage. This experience helps develop a better understanding of sports and how to improve the process of becoming an athlete.
This is where these big competitions fill the gaps. India is still a young sporting nation waiting to realise its potential. The understanding of sports and management is still new to the Indian sporting ecosystem, even in cricket.
The more India hosts big events, the more it will be exposed to different types of sporting cultures. The young aspirants and their coaches get exposed to these methods and evolve throughout their journey to Mount Olympus. The Women’s Boxing World Championship was a major success, as seen from the the support the boxers received. It is only important to keep the momentum going with an eye on the Paris Olympic Games and beyond.
The author is Head of Sports Excellence and Scouting, JSW Sports.
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