How can India produce Olympic Medalists ?

Now that 100 people have read my article "Why India does not produce Olympic medalists", I thought let me see how we can produce champions.

We have no shortage of talented people. There are three things that are important.

1. Individuals who realize that they have potential, passion and will-power to go for it!

2. Ability of someone who can find the potential champions

3. The Infrastructure 

Individuals

You love some sport or sprint or swimming or badminton. When you sleep, do you dream of losing a point ? In your dream you are running and running ? or you keep thinking when the class will be over so that you hit the school ground and play your favorite game. Did people request you to give them opportunity too. 

You, it is only you, who can show interest and passion. Just  enjoy what you are good at. Never get discouraged with your loss. Every loss teaches you something. There are no winners who never lost !

Observe the greats. Listen to coaches. In this era of technology, you have so much information. use all the available information. Focus and focus and focus on your strengths and keep the target in your 'to do list'. Say -

1. Best in the school

2. Best in inter-school meets

3. Best in district level

4. Best in national level

Go for one goal at a time. There is no hurry.

Try to participate in all possible events in India and abroad, if you can afford. Practice with the toughest. If you are girl fight with a boy. If you are  below 13, fight with 18 and above.

...And let your parents/relatives look out for sponsors and a right coach. You don't waste time on that.

People who have to identify the potential

There could be many possibilities to identify potential. Ex:

Rahul Dravid, the icon of Indian cricket preferred to take the job of a coach of under 19  though he could make more money by becoming commentator or sports administrator. He does not want power. He likes the responsibility of identifying the potential cricketers and groom them. With him as coach, the kids can be guaranteed that there is no bias or favoritism. 

Pullela Gopi chand, icon of Indian Badminton created a world class academy in Hyderabad which has produced Saina Nehwal, Sindhu, Kashyap and many. It takes in 150 people and train them well. The fees may be Rs 3000 per month and for resident players it may cost  Rs 10,000 a month. Gopichand has managed to attract sponsors for his academy and his students. It is reported that only 10 per cent of the students pay the full fee, who are new. Once they showcase their potential, they may get sponsorship. This model works wonders.

Many sports persons of national repute have started their academies. They know how to identify potential and how to groom the future champions. 

The mistake India has been doing is depending on people who never played a game are given  power  ( remember not responsibility). These people may often misuse power to show bias and favoritism and thus killing the actual talent.

Keep bureaucrats and politicians away from identifying potential. Leave it to professionals. Bureaucrats and politicians may help in providing infrastructure and promoting talent and rewarding talent.

Infrastructure

There are some good facilities created by Government and often they are underutilized and/or mis-managed.  There are many private individuals who created top class infra and are generating better results. 

I divide Infrastructure into three.

A. Physical learning space

This is easier part. If you have will power and vision and contacts, you can create a great facility. 

B. Money

To run the facility you need money. Initial cost is to be taken care by the Training center. Running cost is the tricky issue. If you are depending on the students to pay , it will be utmost injustice as many poor talented people can not pay. When on field, there is no rich kid and no poor kid. You can not have two different shoes , one costlier and a best one bought by rich kid and a low end shoe given by academy to the poor kid. Find a sponsor for the talented poor kid. Let the rich kid parents sponsor their kid.

I would love to see a day when each one of us can sponsor one talented kid. May be 3-4 can sponsor one kid together for Rs 2-3 laks per year? And after sponsoring, let us not consider it as an Investment and 'expect'  that person to deliver by becoming a champion! 

Do not ignore to pamper the medal winners with money. Nothing like money as it is the only thing that is required when their fame fades away with time and the emergence of a new winner.

C. Coaches and administrators 

The most important people are the people who run the academies. identify the best coaches. They shall just coach. Running the academy shall be by administrator, who  take care of day to day operations and find sponsors in general and specifically for some one who is progressing well.

It is reported that China goes all out to create champions.  See  - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2181374/Ye-Shiwen--forging-Mandarin-mermaid-How-Chinese-children-brutalised-future-Olympians.html 

I am not for this kind of grooming kids. The youngsters need to enjoy what they do.  I would never want a medal by creating a robot  and participating with out passion. The champion shall win because of passion and not due to fear that the trainer will unleash terror!

I am sure the new generation parents realize the potential of their kids and take necessary steps to make them champions. It all shall start from your home.