Mediocrity in Indian sports management will not be tolerated anymore, says Kiren Rijiju
Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju has said that mediocre levels of approach and results in Indian sports management will not be tolerated anymore. Rijiju further said that he would consider it a failure as a sports minister if India cannot finish top 10 in the Olympics medal tally by 2028.
As far as Rijiju is concerned, India cannot continue to lag behind in sports because of the prevailing levels of mediocrity in the management of National Sports Federations (NSFs). And to that end, the union minister has asked the IOA to ensure that the standard of governance in NSFs is high and ensures that no athlete’s career should be ruined because of any official or coach.
“Mediocrity in sports management will not be accepted. This is very much needed if we want to become a sports powerhouse in the near future. The IOA and the NSFs will have to have high standards of governance. I am happy with the functioning of the IOA. I want the IOA and NSFs to follow high standards of governance,” Rijiju told PTI.
“Ego of those in sports management does not serve any purpose. If the career of an athlete is ruined because of the ego of people in the management, the government will not tolerate it. Our approach is athlete-centric and sports-centric,” he said.
Making changes within the sporting culture in the country is well and good but Rijiju wants to see measurable outcomes in the form of Olympic medals. At the unveiling of the logo of India House to be established in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, he set a top 10 target to be achieved by 2028.
“Our country is set to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2022 or 2024, we will be in the top three in many fields in the next four-five years. There is no reason why we cannot do well in the Olympics,” Rijiju said.
“2020 Olympics is too near but by 2024 or 2028, India should be in the top 10 in the medals tally. It is our target. If India cannot do this, I will feel my becoming sports minister is of no use,” he said.
Rijiju further added that India will work with its allies for the inclusion of kabaddi in the Olympics by 2028. At another event — the inauguration of the India Sports Summit — he called on the private sector and industry to come forward and play an active role in the promotion and creation of a sports culture in the country.
“The nations which are sporting powers have sports culture in them, and playing games comes naturally to their citizens and children. But in India, this was not true, but now the time has come to change,” Rijiju added.