Namaste Bharat Magazine
The Tokyo Olympic Games mark India’s best-ever haul in 100+ years of participation with the country securing seven medals and finishing 48th in the medals tally. While there is every reason for us to rejoice at the nation’s best-ever performance, a country of our size can certainly bag many more medals if we improve our sports ecosystem; and build a sports culture by broadening our attention from a few top players to the sportspersons at the base of the pyramid. Namaste Bharat’s cover story this time basically seeks to do away with this anomaly so that India can bask in greater glory at the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza.
Our writers Chander Shekhar Luthra and Suvam Pal as well as excerpts from Binoo K. John’s book emphasise the need for India to evolve a talent-spotting and player-grooming culture to enable an increasing number of rural and tribal youngsters to choose sport as a career. Like most European countries, we need to introduce sports from the primary school level. Pertinently, the 13-year-old prodigy and youngest athlete from Japan, Momiji Nishiya created history by striking gold in the women’s street skateboarding event; and the 14-year-old diving sensation Quan Hongchan became the youngest Chinese athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to have won double gold medals in the women’s 10m platform. Similar success stories can flow from India if we too adopt a ‘catch them young’ approach towards talented teens inhabiting thousands of our villages and towns.
Our sportspersons need complete hand-holding by sports administrators and stakeholders from the very initial stage if they have to make sports their career. Also, there is a need to rein in corruption by ensuring the funds earmarked for sports reach the intended beneficiaries, emphasises our cover story.
As the Taliban takes over Afghanistan, anxiety is palpable amidst its hapless citizens, writes former top bureaucrat Aaloc Srivastav.
Back home, Shashi Jha and B. Shekhar capture a heartening trend that points towards India taking strides in becoming a world sourcing hub for goods and services post-pandemic. India’s exports are constantly rising, signalling an increase in demand as global markets rebound. Indian communities abroad have earned respect for themselves with their steadfast perseverance and non-interference in foreign shores, with constant desire to contribute to India’s growth too. As Dr Amita Prasad, a senior IAS officer, writes, ‘there is a need to re-engage the Indian diaspora, culturally, socially, and economically’.
It is in the fitness of things that Namaste Bharat and Toronto-based Bharat Centre of Canada (BCC) have signed an MoU for collaboration in public policy, international relations, social research, publications, etc with an eye on promoting and safeguarding interests of the Indian diaspora. BCC works in association with the Consulate General of India in Toronto to develop a strategic vision for India-Canada relations.
We are committed to keeping Indians abroad engaged more meaningfully and enabling them to articulate themselves more resonantly!
Regards
Rashmi, CEO & Publisher
