'I consider it a good omen. It fills me with pride to see sports finding a space in Indian families. It is good for India's future.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described sports as an essential aspect of India's journey towards becoming a developed nation, saying that the new National Sports Policy will ensure a sporting growth that covers the farthest school to the elite Olympics.
In his Independence Day speech, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime Minister said the country has come a long way from the time when sports wasn’t seen as a viable career option.
"Sports is an essential aspect of development and I am happy, that from the time when parents used to scoff at children spending time in sports, we have reached a point where it has changed. Now parents are happy if children take interest in sports," declared Modi, as guests, which included double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker, applauded.
"I consider it a good omen. It fills me with pride to see sports finding a space in Indian families. It is good for India's future," he added.
The NSP, which calls for greater accountability of administrators and establishment of processes to "ensure ethical practices, fair play and healthy competition in the sports sector", was introduced on July 1 after cabinet approval.
It professes the creation of national agencies and inter-ministerial committees to facilitate swift action and effective resolution of issues. The policy also proposes a revamped funding mechanism, including initiatives such as ‘Adopt an Athlete’, ‘Adopt a District’, ‘Adopt a Venue’, ‘One Corporate-One Sport’, and ‘One PSU-One State’ wherever feasible.
"To promote sports, we have come up with the National Sports Policy after several decades. It would ensure development of sports, from school to the Olympics.
"We will develop an ecosystem whether it is coaching, fitness or infrastructure. We will create an ecosystem that penetrates the farthest corner of the country," Modi said.
Within weeks of the NSP, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya pushed for and ensured the passage of the long-pending National Sports Governance Bill in Parliament for a stricter regulatory framework for National Sports Federations and a well-defined dispute resolution system.
India's Olympics performance has been underwhelming, the 2021 Tokyo Games haul of seven, including one gold, being its best ever show till date.
Modi also reiterated that fitness is an important part of sporting culture and, for that, the nation needs to fight obesity by cutting down consumption of oil.
"When I talk of fitness and sports, I want to talk about obesity, which is a huge problem for the country. It is predicted that every third person is expected to be obese in future; we have to reduce consumption of oil to win this war on obesity," he said.