"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
Syed Khurram Raza delves deeper into the phenomenon
Sportspersons from Haryana are burly, brusque and brassy. The character of Komal Chautala, portrayed by Chitrashi Rawat in the Shahrukh Khan starrer Chak De India, would give a fair idea about Haryanvi sense of humour to those who have not come across this breed. At the same time Komal's on-field performance that helps India win the final match in the movie, is as close to reality as her curt manner.
Sportsmen from Haryana have always excelled in sports. In recent years, however, their representation in athletics has increased, fuelled by the success of sportsmen such as Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar, Jitender and Yogeshwar Dutt, who have all been inducted into the state police force after their excellent showing at international events.
During the recent Commonwealth Games in the Capital sportsmen from Haryana could often be heard repeating the slogan “doodh dahi ka khana hai, apna desh Haryana hai” with a certain degree of pride. Their medal tally betrayed their mental and physical strength as they won 30 medals between them. Rich diet does play an important role in sports, but this is not the only reason behind Haryana producing champion after champion. There are other factors too which ensure that sportsmen from a state with a national population share of just over two per cent constitutes about 16 per cent of the total number at the Beijing Olympics.
Retired Sports Authority of India (SAI) football coach and project officer of the Panchayti Krida and Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) Rohit Parashar says, “Socio-economic conditions play a very important role. It is difficult for any sportsperson to excel if he or she does not have a sound economic background because commitment and passion alone can't take you very far.” He adds, “As Haryana is quite well off, youngsters can afford to chose sports as a career.”
Analysing the phenomenon, Arjuna Award winner and two-time Asian Games boxing gold medallist Rajkumar Sangwan says, “This has not happened in a day. Earlier agriculture was not very good in Haryana and a large number of youths would go to the Army. There these youth would generally participate in every sport where height and physical fitness counted and brought laurels to the Army and the country. Captain Hawa Singh, Balbir Singh Ballu, Bhim Singh and Captain Udai Chand excelled. After the retirement, they started coaching youngsters in their areas and created a new generation of sportsmen.”
Till the1970s it was Punjab that shone in sports. But terrorism and then a trend among the youth to migrate to the West dealt a severe blow to the sports scenario in Punjab. Their absence made Haryana sportsmen more conspicuous. Geographical factors also play a role. “Haryanvis are tall and strongly built. Besides, we use less fertilisers in farming, so our food is free from toxins,” explains Sangwan.
The general inclination among the masses towards sports also helps. “Family and community encouragement play an important role in promotion of sports in Haryana. When my elder brother Sukhbir won an international kabaddi match against Pakistan the village gifted him 21 kg of pure ghee,” says Sonepat native Jitender Joon, officer on special duty to Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri.
Bheem Stadium in Bhiwani does not have basic facilities such as a track for the athletes or a hockey or football turf, but that does not douse players' enthusiasm. Virtually in every sport, boys and girls participate in large numbers.
Coaches are seen taking extraordinary pains to train their wards. Wrestling coach Zile Singh Bagri was busy giving tips to Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita and potential medalist for the 2012 Olympics, Kavita. He says, “Earlier there used to be very few players but now the overnight success stories of all these medalists have attracted the youth to sports. Now even the parents find a career in sports more promising for their children than them being doctors or engineers.” Anita, whose grandfather was a wrestler in the Army, gives credit to her mother, “It was my mother who encouraged me to take up sports and there was no opposition in the family.” Kavita's mother, too, supported her all the way.
SAI hostel in-charge and wrestling coach Brish Bhan says, “Providing jobs to sportspersons has played an important role in the promotion of sports in the state. More and more young people are taking to sports. About 14 players have been recruited as DSPs in Haryana”. Brish Bhan feels that if training facilities of international standards are provided, more medals would be a certainty. District sports officer at Bheem Stadium, Caju Ram Goyat, says, “The government has played a key role in nurturing sporting talent. It has launched a talent hunt under which competitions would be organised in schools. The schools have been instructed to take this very seriously.” According to Goyat, seven lakh students have already registered online and a lot more are expected to register.
Medalists are not only getting good jobs but also handsome cash rewards. A medal turns around a player's fortunes overnight. Boxing champion Vijender’s big house in the small village of Kaluwas is proof enough. Jimmy, a Germen Shepherd dog, greets visitors at the gate. Vijender’s two nieces, Nikita and Kavita, sit on the lap of their grandparents and listen to the stories of their sportsman uncle. “Vijender was inspired by his boxer grandfather who was in the army,” reveals his father.
Be it the martial traits of the people of Haryana, community encouragement, the lure of jobs and money, inherent passion or government policies, the fact is that today Haryana is teeming with sportspersons, and many of them are already world-beaters. And many more are in the making.
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'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
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Syed Khurram Raza delves deeper into the phenomenon
Sportspersons from Haryana are burly, brusque and brassy. The character of Komal Chautala, portrayed by Chitrashi Rawat in the Shahrukh Khan starrer Chak De India, would give a fair idea about Haryanvi sense of humour to those who have not come across this breed. At the same time Komal's on-field performance that helps India win the final match in the movie, is as close to reality as her curt manner.
Sportsmen from Haryana have always excelled in sports. In recent years, however, their representation in athletics has increased, fuelled by the success of sportsmen such as Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar, Jitender and Yogeshwar Dutt, who have all been inducted into the state police force after their excellent showing at international events.
During the recent Commonwealth Games in the Capital sportsmen from Haryana could often be heard repeating the slogan “doodh dahi ka khana hai, apna desh Haryana hai” with a certain degree of pride. Their medal tally betrayed their mental and physical strength as they won 30 medals between them. Rich diet does play an important role in sports, but this is not the only reason behind Haryana producing champion after champion. There are other factors too which ensure that sportsmen from a state with a national population share of just over two per cent constitutes about 16 per cent of the total number at the Beijing Olympics.
Retired Sports Authority of India (SAI) football coach and project officer of the Panchayti Krida and Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) Rohit Parashar says, “Socio-economic conditions play a very important role. It is difficult for any sportsperson to excel if he or she does not have a sound economic background because commitment and passion alone can't take you very far.” He adds, “As Haryana is quite well off, youngsters can afford to chose sports as a career.”
Analysing the phenomenon, Arjuna Award winner and two-time Asian Games boxing gold medallist Rajkumar Sangwan says, “This has not happened in a day. Earlier agriculture was not very good in Haryana and a large number of youths would go to the Army. There these youth would generally participate in every sport where height and physical fitness counted and brought laurels to the Army and the country. Captain Hawa Singh, Balbir Singh Ballu, Bhim Singh and Captain Udai Chand excelled. After the retirement, they started coaching youngsters in their areas and created a new generation of sportsmen.”
Till the1970s it was Punjab that shone in sports. But terrorism and then a trend among the youth to migrate to the West dealt a severe blow to the sports scenario in Punjab. Their absence made Haryana sportsmen more conspicuous. Geographical factors also play a role. “Haryanvis are tall and strongly built. Besides, we use less fertilisers in farming, so our food is free from toxins,” explains Sangwan.
The general inclination among the masses towards sports also helps. “Family and community encouragement play an important role in promotion of sports in Haryana. When my elder brother Sukhbir won an international kabaddi match against Pakistan the village gifted him 21 kg of pure ghee,” says Sonepat native Jitender Joon, officer on special duty to Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri.
Bheem Stadium in Bhiwani does not have basic facilities such as a track for the athletes or a hockey or football turf, but that does not douse players' enthusiasm. Virtually in every sport, boys and girls participate in large numbers.
Coaches are seen taking extraordinary pains to train their wards. Wrestling coach Zile Singh Bagri was busy giving tips to Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita and potential medalist for the 2012 Olympics, Kavita. He says, “Earlier there used to be very few players but now the overnight success stories of all these medalists have attracted the youth to sports. Now even the parents find a career in sports more promising for their children than them being doctors or engineers.” Anita, whose grandfather was a wrestler in the Army, gives credit to her mother, “It was my mother who encouraged me to take up sports and there was no opposition in the family.” Kavita's mother, too, supported her all the way.
SAI hostel in-charge and wrestling coach Brish Bhan says, “Providing jobs to sportspersons has played an important role in the promotion of sports in the state. More and more young people are taking to sports. About 14 players have been recruited as DSPs in Haryana”. Brish Bhan feels that if training facilities of international standards are provided, more medals would be a certainty. District sports officer at Bheem Stadium, Caju Ram Goyat, says, “The government has played a key role in nurturing sporting talent. It has launched a talent hunt under which competitions would be organised in schools. The schools have been instructed to take this very seriously.” According to Goyat, seven lakh students have already registered online and a lot more are expected to register.
Medalists are not only getting good jobs but also handsome cash rewards. A medal turns around a player's fortunes overnight. Boxing champion Vijender’s big house in the small village of Kaluwas is proof enough. Jimmy, a Germen Shepherd dog, greets visitors at the gate. Vijender’s two nieces, Nikita and Kavita, sit on the lap of their grandparents and listen to the stories of their sportsman uncle. “Vijender was inspired by his boxer grandfather who was in the army,” reveals his father.
Be it the martial traits of the people of Haryana, community encouragement, the lure of jobs and money, inherent passion or government policies, the fact is that today Haryana is teeming with sportspersons, and many of them are already world-beaters. And many more are in the making.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM, GURGAON
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