The Teachers’ Day Question: Can India Really Become a Sporting Nation?

Every Teachers’ Day, we celebrate those who shaped our lives in classrooms – the lessons they taught and the values they instilled.

But this Teachers’ Day, I find myself thinking about a different kind of teacher: sport. toffler.lol

And that raises an uncomfortable question: can India really become a sporting nation?

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I have my doubts.

Not because we lack talent or love sport. We do, and we celebrate our athletes with enormous enthusiasm. But watching sport and being a sporting nation are two very different things.

Look around.

The playgrounds where many of us grew up are disappearing. In my own locality, I have watched open spaces being taken over by promoters, with multi-storey apartments replacing them. These weren’t vacant plots. They were where children met, ran, competed and, most importantly, played without needing a coach or structured programme.

What happens when that space disappears?

There is tuition after school, homework and another class. Increasingly, even tuition is online. Children can spend yet another hour behind a screen without leaving home.

Convenience has increased. Physical activity has decreased.

Adults aren’t doing much better. Work has consumed our lives, and finding friends who can spare the same evening for even a five-a-side football match is becoming remarkably difficult.

Everyone is busy. Everyone is working.

So when do we play?

A sporting nation isn’t simply one that hosts the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or a FIFA World Cup. It is built lower down the pyramid – in neighbourhoods, schools and local grounds.

It begins with children playing because they enjoy it, not because someone has identified them as future Olympians.

Take football. Uttarpara, where I live, has a club playing in the Calcutta Football League. Yet it doesn’t play its CFL matches there, where local residents could watch their own team. How many people even know their local club is playing?

In 2024, when RevSportz’s Para Football tournament held several matches in Uttarpara, crowds turned up in numbers. People were interested. The problem wasn’t a lack of interest; it was a lack of opportunity.

Compare that with England, where lower-league football remains part of the community fabric. Families and neighbours turn up to watch clubs deep down the pyramid. The sporting culture isn’t created only by the Premier League or the World Cup. It exists in the tenth tier as well.

Then there is the athlete.

We tell athletes to dream big: win medals, represent India, stand on the podium. But ask many what they ultimately want from sport and the answer can be surprisingly simple: a job.

Why wouldn’t it be?

For some, a government or public-sector job after winning a medal means financial security for their families. If an athlete has trained for years without certainty, why should we expect them to reject a secure future for an abstract sporting dream?

I don’t blame athletes for choosing security. Sporting careers end, and not everyone can remain at the top.

But a sporting nation cannot be built around exceptions.

The real test is whether the ordinary child gets to play; whether families see sport as part of education; whether athletes can pursue it without constantly worrying about survival; and whether local sport matters enough for people to participate and watch.

Which brings us back to the classroom.

Why is a mathematics period rarely questioned, while a PT period can so easily be sacrificed? Why is the PT teacher often accorded less status than the mathematics or science teacher?

This isn’t an argument against academics. Education matters. But education is not only about marks.

Sport teaches discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience, how to deal with failure, accept criticism and respect an opponent. These aren’t extracurricular lessons. They are lessons for life.

Perhaps the playground is also a classroom. Perhaps the PT teacher deserves the same respect as the mathematics teacher.

India may one day host the Olympics and win more medals than ever before. But none of that, by itself, will make India a sporting nation.

We will become one when neighbourhood grounds are protected; when children and adults have time to play; when local tournaments matter; and when athletes don’t have to choose between chasing a dream and securing survival.

Perhaps the lesson India needs to learn this Teachers’ Day is simple: we don’t need to tie our children to classrooms alone. We need to give them the space, time and freedom to breathe, play and thrive.

Because before we ask India to become a sporting nation, we need to become a nation that gives its people something increasingly precious: time, space and permission to play.

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New York [US], September 5 (ANI): Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a strong challenge from China’s Wu Yibing to secure a 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory and reach the fourth round of the US Open.

Alcaraz, competing in his first tournament since April after recovering from a right wrist injury, maintained his impressive Grand Slam form by extending his winning streak at major tournaments to 17 matches, according to the ATP website.

The Spaniard faced early resistance from Wu, with both players displaying powerful forehands in a contest dominated by aggressive shot-making. Wu, ranked No. 113 in the PIF ATP Rankings, matched Alcaraz’s intensity and managed to create pressure in the opening sets.

Alcaraz surrendered a break lead in both the first and second sets but responded strongly, raising his level during crucial moments to take control of the match and build a two-set advantage.

Wu, who became the first Chinese player to win an ATP singles title in 2023, continued to fight and created two break-point opportunities in the opening game of the third set. However, Alcaraz held firm, saving both chances before pulling away to complete the victory.

The world No. 3, who missed this year’s French Open and Wimbledon due to injury, has now won his last 17 matches at Grand Slam events, including his Australian Open title run earlier this year.

Alcaraz will next face American Tommy Paul in the fourth round as he continues his title defence. Paul advanced after defeating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3 in a thrilling encounter.

Paul trails Alcaraz 2-6 in their career meetings but is aiming to become the only active American men’s player to reach the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Anaya Bangar, the daughter of ex-India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, stunned her one million Instagram followers with this swimsuit pose as she takes a dip in a pool.

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A post shared by Anaya Bangar (@anayabangar)

Anaya, who recently underwent gender-affirming surgery, captioned the post: “There’s something beautiful about finally experiencing yourself the way you always knew you were. This is gender Euphoria.”

One fan called her, ‘absolutely gorgeous,’ while another commented: “Red is truly your colour.”