Sport Loans Something to think about................

Today, when I read the papers there was an article on how most of the medals that India won in the individual category at the Olympics was mostly due to the individuals ability for funding for their own training rather depending on the government for providing the facilities. Though there have been exceptions but mostly its been their own making.

This kind of hit me when I was thinking how a sports person can get the funds one requires for their training. Why not banks give loans to sports persons? This would really change the whole scenario of sports in India, the one which is seen today. We have lot of talent here, but the problem is not every one has the moolah to make it to the top. By giving loans to sports person at concessional rates, they will be able to avail the amenities that they were being denied.

Having said this, I know this is not a very easy task, but if we can work on it then definetly things can work out for better. One of things about getting loans is you need to prove to the banks you have enough money and you don't need the money in the first place!!

The banks can give loans at lower rates for a longer duration and on the other hand they stand to gain, if the sport person they have given loan to is winning events. This would give them a brand ambassador and would mean more business. It can also happen that they did not win any events, at least they were able to give them the facilities which was required for their improvement. This can also be dubbed as a corporate effort to develop sports in India and making their contribution towards the same.

I do hope they are reading this and make a note of it.

India's Quest to Olympics

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part;
the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well"

— Pierre de Coubertin (founder of modern Olympic Games)

It was heartening to see the Indian flag rising at the top of the podium when Abhinav Bindra clinched the only individual gold medal in the 10m shooting competition in the recent Beijing Olympics 2008. This was a proud day for India and the Indians to cheer about.

Abhinav really needs to be complimented for the way he held his nerve to hit the bulls eye in the last round which made all the difference.

This happens to be the first individual gold medal to be won by India and that too after 28 long years. India's populations stands at about one billion approximately. This very much says a lot about the sorry state of affairs about sports excluding cricket which has the players raking in lots of moolah.

Though we have sport organizations formed to take care of the development of sports in India, we hardly get to see the results. It is very sad to see that we are not doing much for the development of sports, though we have athletes who overcame all these obstacles to win medals for India.

We need to learn a lot from our neighbor China which starts working on its athletes from a young age. No wonder they have bagged so many gold medals at the Olympics. I surely hope this we take a leaf out of China to change the face of the dismal state of sports in India.

Though Abhinav had the money to fund his training, others are not so lucky. Hope the sports authority takes a note of this and starts working on it soon as the 2010 Common Wealth Games is to be held in Delhi.

I hope to see us winning more medals at the Olympics and the coming Commonwealth Games in 2010.