Author: Anurag Tyagi

If you are an athlete pursuing a career in sport, the best possible scenario is to get into a college that offers sports scholarship. Considering career in sports is very short comparing to traditional career, pursuing higher education and earning a degree from a top university can open better avenues post the sports career. Luckily, there are several top Indian universities that offers sports scholarships to athletes.

Benefits Of Sports Scholarship Programs:

• Encourages sports amongst aspiring athletes, also encouraging them to pursue sports as a viable career option.
• Providing the necessary tools for the overall development of athlete.
• Allows the student-athlete to focus on sports, giving them room to grow their sports skills.

Also Read: Balancing Academics And Sports: A Guide For Young Athletes

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Top Indian Universities Offering Sports Scholarships

1. University of Delhi (DU)

Delhi University is amongst the best educational institutions in India. Students from all around the world enroll for the various programs that the university offers. Other than quality education, the university also offers sports scholarships to students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in various sports. Amongst many benefits, the university provides financial assistance, hostel accommodations, and access to training facilities. Scholarships are awarded based on performance in sports trials and past achievements.

• Scholarship Criteria: Only those students are eligible for scholarships who represent Delhi University in inter-university sports tournaments.
• Financial Support: University also offer financial support of up to INR 2000 per month.

Also Read: Sports Legends: Icons Who Shaped the World of Sports

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2. University of Mumbai

Several colleges in Mumbai offers sports scholarship to deserved students athletes. Colleges affiliated to Mumbai University offer scholarship through sports quota. All students need is to take trails and pass them in order to get benefits under the sports scholarship. It includes financial assistance and access to sports facilities.

• Scholarship Criteria: Only those students who pass the trail and meet the minimum criteria can get the sports scholarship.
• Financial Support: Financial Support: University also offer financial support to deserved athletes.

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3. SRM University, Tamil Nadu

SRM University is ranked amongst the very best in India. The university boasts a foreign faculty, as well as a flexible curriculum that caters to the demand of students. SRM university has gained reputation for exceptional academics, world-class facilities, and a lively campus life.

• Scholarship Criteria: SRM university holds trials for students seeking admission under sports quota. Student athletes must register through the online registration form.
• Financial Support: Students may also get financial support.

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4. Netaji Subhas National Institute Of Sports

Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) is the largest sports institute located in the city of Patiala, Punjab. NSNIS is amongst the finest institution in India which promote sports among students, awarding scholarship to students under its sports quota program.

• Scholarship Criteria: Selection in NSNIS is based on performance and merit. Students seeking admission must have to go through a selection process to obtain sports scholarship.
• Financial Support: No college fee, free accommodation.

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5. Amity University, Noida

Amity University is amongst India’s top-class education institution. Not only it provides world-class academic curriculum for students but the university also offer scholarships for talented athletes.

• Scholarship Criteria: Selection is done on the basis sports achievement. Student-athletes must be in possession of a sports certificate, highlighting their participation.
• Financial Support: 100% scholarship for students playing at the international level. 50% scholarship for students for winning a medal and 25% for playing at the national level.

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6. Panjab University
Every year Panjab University provides sports scholarships to students athletes, both boys and girls, under its stipend program named Shri G.L. Kohli & Smt. Indravati, Kohli Memorial stipend. The number of stipends offered under this program are four, two each for boys and girls.

• Scholarship Criteria: Scholarship is done on the need-cum-merit basis. As per the criteria, minimum family income for the Endowments on Need-cum-Merit basis should be below Rs. 5 lacs.
• Financial Support: As mentioned above, students athletes get stipends.

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7. University of Kerala
From providing financial incentive to hostel accommodation, the University of Kerala offers sports scholarships to athletes who excel in sports. Seats are limited and are filled through a trial.

• Scholarship Criteria: Student must pass the trials conducted by the Kerala University.
• Financial Support: Sports Training Incentive of Rs. 4000/- each is given to every athlete who wins medals in All India Inter-University games.
  University offers scholarships of Rs. 1200/- each for Kerala University team members
  In addition, the university also award grace marks to sports persons who excel in University, State, National and International sports and games competitions.

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8. University of Mysore
The University of Mysore takes sports very seriously and felicitate sports persons in a number of ways. Not only the university gives cash prizes to student athletes for excelling in sports, but they also offer sports scholarship.

• Scholarship Criteria: Every student athletes seeking an admission in University of Mysore under sports quota and avail the sports scholarship must meet the eligibility criteria set by the university.
• Financial Support: University of Mysore offers financials assistance to student athletes. The student-athletes who Secure Medals at the All India Inter-University Competitions are given a cash award of Rs.30,000 for Gold medal, Rs. 25,000 for Silver Medal and Rs. 20,000 for Bronze Medal along with Sports Scholarship of Rs.3000/ each, on a Regular Basis.

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Other Sports Scholarships

1. Anjum Chopra Sports Scholarship: Promotes women’s participation in the game of cricket. This program awards 10 talented women cricketers every year with the sports scholarship.

• Scholarship Criteria:
  Female athletes must be part of state teams.
  Only women cricketers aged between 14 and 25 years are eligible to apply.
• Financial Support: Candidates meeting the eligibility criteria will get up to INR 1 Lakh per annum.

2. ONGC Sports Scholarship Scheme: Encourages young athletes to take up sport and reward them with numerous benefits under ONGC Sports Scholarship scheme.

• Scholarship Criteria:
  Athletes must be between 14 and 25 years.
  For sports such as Swimming, Gymnasts and Chess, the minimum age will be 10 years.
  Athletes should not receive any other scholarship during this period.
• Financial Support:
  Insurance coverage of up to INR 5 Lakh.
  Stipend of up to INR 30,000.

3. Jyoti Prakash Scholarship Program for Sportspersons: Promotes sports amongst young athletes. Under this sports scholarship program, deserved athletes get financial support as well as coverage for educational expenses.

• Scholarship Criteria: Athlete must have played at state, national, or international level in the last 3 years.
  Must be an Indian citizen and should be aged between 14 and 25.
  The annual family income shouldn’t exceed INR 6 Lakh per annum.
• Financial Support: Deserved athletes are awarded with INR 15000 to INR 24000.

4. Colgate Keep India Smiling foundational Scholarship: Provides necessary support to deserved athletes. Encourages sport amongst youth in India.

• Scholarship Criteria:
  Only Indian citizen who are aged between 9 and 20 years are eligible for scholarship.
  Annual income of family should not exceed INR 5 Lakh per annum.
  Should have played for their state or at the state and national level in the last 3 years.
• Financial Support: Deserved athletes can get financial benefits of up to INR 75000 per annum for 3 years.

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For an aspiring Indian athlete, the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between academics and sports. In fact, when a child shows his willingness to play a sport, the first command from parents is to tell their kid to don’t get your education get affected. This often leads to a half-hearted commitment from children, depriving them a chance to unlock their full potential as an athlete. Imagine a hypothetical scenario where Lionel Messi’s parents are asking him to focus more on education than playing football.

Also Read: How to leverage social media to Build your personal brand!

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How Indian System Puts Academic Pressure On Children?

India has always been a nation that prioritizes academic success. There’s no harm in that, but this has also deprived India success on the sports field. For many Indian families, education is seen as the most viable and secure path to a financially stable career. Because of this, students often are always under pressure to perform well in academics. Children, who fail to meet their parents’ academic aspirations, get compared with other kids excelling in education.

It feels as if these society norms are deeply engraved into the Indian system that forces everyone to think that without a degree from a top university, one is doomed. That failing to get top marks in exams will result in unemployment or a job that underpays. Because of this, students are always forced into studied and there’s no number to highlight how many athletes India might have lost due to these society norms.

So if you are an aspiring Indian athlete, you must learn to fight against the societal norms, which puts significant emphasis on education.

Also Read: Sports Legends: Icons Who Shaped the World of Sports

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Why Pursuing Both Sports And Academics Is A Challenge For Children?

Pursuing sports and education can be a challenge for young athletes for a variety of reasons, such as:

1. Poor Infrastructure: Many non-cricket sports lack proper facilities, coaching, and equipment, making it challenging for young athletes to train effectively.
2. Parents’ Limited Awareness: As cricket hogs all the limelight, many Indian Parents are not aware of the opportunities in other sports such as Football, Lawn Tennis, and Athletics. So they don’t encourage their children to play other sports.
3. Risky Career option: Though sports open better career avenues, it is still seen as a risky career choice by many, especially in non-metro cities.

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Why Balancing Academics and Sports Matters

Even if a young kid doesn’t show signs of being a talented athlete, encouraging him to play any kind of sports can play a huge role in the overall development. Here’s why parents should teach their children to strike a balance between academics and sports:

1. Holistic Development: Sports is the best teacher. It teaches life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience. Teaching these skills theoretically isn’t possible.
2. More Career Options: Students who pursue both sports and academics, have better career options to choose from. In fact, since a sport career is short, an educated athlete will have better options to earn money once he retires from sports field.
3. Mental Well-being: Engaging in sports can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being of a human being. Since the pressure of academics is huge, playing sports can positively impact academic performance.

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How An Aspiring Athlete Can Strike a Balance between Academics and Sports

1. Time Management

Every person, be it Elon Musk or Ratan Tata, who went on to become successful mastered one aspect in his life and that is to manage time. We all have limited time on our hands and what we do with it affect our life. So the most important thing a parent or the teacher can teach young children is to master time management. Young athletes should create a structured schedule that allocates time for training, studying, and rest. Prioritize tasks, avoid procrastination, and make the most of available time.

2. Seek Support from Schools and Colleges

Schools and colleges play a huge role in shaping the career of a student-athletes. If you are an athlete and you sports schedule coincide with your academics, you can always seek help from schools and colleges to offer flexibility and academic support. In addition, parents should also be open to make timely communication with teachers and educational institutions to ensure their child’s needs are met.

3. Set Realistic Goals

Goals should always be realistic. Setting goals, whether in academics or for sports, that are hard to achieve can hit the confidence level in a negative way. Also try to break goals into smaller milestones but keep a tab on the larger picture as well. Know your limitations and don’t put too much burden on yourself. Also remember that every one is unique, so don’t compare yourself with other.

4. Leverage Technology

Technology can be a valuable ally for young athletes. There are many online tools that can help a student-athlete with tasks such as diet plan, maintaining a schedule, keeping track of improvement. Similarly, fitness apps and video tutorials can enhance sports training.

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Success Stories to Inspire

There are enough stories to encourage both the parents and young children to see sports as a career option, even if a child is good at academics. Here are some examples, of successful athletes who excelled in education and on the sports field as well.

• PV Sindhu: The badminton superstar made it to the very top of the sport. She remains one of the best badminton players India has ever produced. She also holds a degree in business management – a perfect example that one can be successful in sports as well as in academics.
• Anil Kumble: The former Indian leg spinner, who holds the record of most test wickets by an Indian player, is also a mechanical engineering graduate.
• Ravichandran Ashwin: India’s star spinner, who recently announced his retirement from test cricket, also holds a B.Tech degree in Information and technology.
• Abhishek Verma: India’s shooting sensation, Abhishek Verma, is also a supremely talented student. Not only he holds a Bachelor degree in Computer Science, he is also pursuing law.
• Manasi Joshi: The Para-badminton world champion completed a Bachelor of Electronics Engineering from K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai.

These athletes prove that sports and academics can go hand in hand and that one can be successful in both fields as well.

Also Read: Parents’ role in balancing sports and education

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Final Thoughts

Though striking a balance between sports and education can be challenging, with the right support and planning, it is possible to excel in both fields.

Rather than forcing young children to choose between sports and academics, we, as a society, should focus on creating an environment where we can value sports alongside academics.

For young athletes, there should be freedom. Freedom of choosing a career they love and that can unlock their full potential. It can be either in academics or on the sports field.

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In a country as populous and diverse as India, there’s a lot of room for a healthy sports ecosystem which can produce talented athletes across various sports disciplines. But the reality couldn’t be farther from what the statement suggests. Cricket is the only sport that truly dominates the sporting landscape in India, while other sports even as global as Football and Lawn Tennis, are left playing the catch up game. Though cricketers in India earn big money, the majority of Indian athletes struggle to make ends meet. This is down to a lot of factors such as poor sports infrastructure, lack of success in non-cricket sports and cultural attitude towards sports in general.

Also Read: Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Indian Sports

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The Pay Gap: Why there’s so much disparity?

There are various factors why there’s so much disparity between the income of Indian athletes and what their global counterparts earn. Let’s discuss some points that could be the reasons for the income

1. Cricket-Centric Culture

Cricket has always overshadowed other sports in India. Even a game as global and as popular as football takes a back seat to cricket’s popularity and following. As cricket is always in the limelight, whether it’s for the right or wrong reasons, big companies tend to collaborate with cricketers, as well as with the leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian cricket team matches. As the money involved in cricket is often in billion, this leaves little room for other sports and players. Also the limited commercial success of leagues such as Indian Super League (ISL) and Premier Badminton League (PBL) – now defunct – restricts earnings for athletes other than cricketers.

Also Read: Challenges In Monetizing Indian Sports Content Online

2. Lack of Infrastructure and Investment

A country’s success in any sport depends on how robust its infrastructure is. Cricket is hugely successful in India because the BCCI, cricket’s parent body in India, has created a system where talented athletes can get access to world-class athletes. In terms of infrastructure, cricket is the standard in India for other sports. Without world-class facilities, India fail to produce world-class athletes consistently in sports such as Football, Basketball or Athletics. As there’s limited success for athletes, big companies do not want to spend big on marketing and sponsorships on non-cricket athletes, which significantly impact their earnings.

3. Limited Sponsorship and Endorsement Opportunities

Global sports brands and sponsors tend to associate with internationally successful athletes. Cricket is not a global sport by any stretch of imagination while non-cricket athletes are no where as successful as premium players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Roger Federer or Tiger Woods. That means, global brands have too many options to collaborate with, leaving Indian players with a smaller pool of opportunities.

4. Lack of a transparent system to support Athletes

Indian sports ecosystem suffer from poor governance and mismanagement. There’s no system in place which can take care of the well-being of sports athletes other than cricket. Even playing in top-notch leagues such as ISL doesn’t guarantee a big paycheck, unless you are Sunil Chhetri. This inconsistency and lack of transparency of funds being allocated in the right way affects the financial growth of its athletes.

5. Shorter Career and Limited Post-Retirement Support

The career of a sports player is far shorter than traditional career, let’s say a typical 9-5 job. So an athlete has to earn enough money in that limited time to support not only himself, but his family members as well for the rest of his life. But not every athlete get the right opportunity at the right time. Most suffer at the hands of the poor infrastructure, poor management, which then, affect their overall growth as an athlete. Lack of success on the field means, athletes don’t get sponsorships or financial support from the government. Many athletes struggle financially after leaving the sport and most opt for jobs such as coaching in small academies, which don’t pay enough, to be fair.

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How the Pay Gap can be Bridged?

1. Better Investments in Other Sports

There’s no shortcut to success. If we want to see an Indian player playing for a football club like Liverpool, or Bayern Munich, infrastructure has to improve. And for that to happen, more investment is required, not only from government but from private sector. Grassroots programs should be made more robust to create a more balanced sports ecosystem.

2. Develop Professional Leagues

We have seen how professional leagues such as Hockey India League (HIL), Premier Badminton League (PBL) and few others became defunct. This clearly indicate the lack of interest from stake holders in running the league. Better marketing and more investment could have helped a lot in the continuation of the leagues. Even the ISL is seeing poor marketing as the attendance in the matches keep decreasing. Steps should be taken to revive those leagues which will significantly improve the financial well-being of players.

3. Celebrate non-cricket achievements More

There’s a saying in hindi – “jo dikhta hai, wo bikta hai”. This statement holds true in every aspect of life. Even if the achievement of a student in a certain exam, if marketed aggressively and in the right manner, can help him get scholarship and funding. In India, we tend to overlook the sports achievements if it’s not cricket. If media and even general public show more support towards non-cricket achievements, it can help bring more focus on athletes, which means, sponsors would want to collaborate with them. This can significantly increase their earning.

5. Promote Sports Education

In India, every other aspiring sports player want to become either Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar. There’s nothing wrong with that, but young kids should also be taught about other sports. More often than not, children are forced into pursuing education if they want to play sports, especially if it’s not cricket. This is down to lack of sports education amongst parents. Other than improving infrastructure, educating athletes as well as parents about financial planning can help them secure long-term financial stability.

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Conclusion

The pay gap between Indian athletes and their global counterparts is a reflection of India’s lack of success in global sports such as Football, Lawn Tennis and Basketball, to name a few. In fact, India get trolled during global sporting events such as FIFA World Cup and Olympics due to the country’s lack of success in producing quality athletes. We should also accept this fact that why out of a more than a billion population we can’t produce few gold medal winners in Olympic events, while Australia, which has population less than India’s Kolkata city, manage to win multiple gold medals.

As Indian athletes fail to leave a mark at the global stage, no international brand would want to collaborate with them when there are other options such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Unless, Indian athletes start winning in global sporting events, the significant pay gap between their earnings and what international athletes earn would always continue to exist.

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Sports quotas in India have long been a double-edged sword. For some, sports quotas are a gateway to sports opportunities, while at times, they raise questions about their existence and impact on the within the Indian sports ecosystem. Though the quotas in sports was introduced with the noble intent of giving facilities and financial support to deserving athletes, its implementation and effects are often debated.

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What Are Sports Quotas in India?

As the name suggests – it’s a quota for the athletes, or in more simpler terms, it’s a reservation for the deserved sports persons in various government sectors and public services, including admissions in colleges. With these quotas, deserved athletes can secure jobs in government sectors provided they meet certain criteria and conditions for the jobs they are applying for. With sports quotas, sports persons can get benefits such as:

1. Admission to Top Educational Institutions: Many universities and colleges in India offer reserved seats for athletes who have excelled at the district, state, or national levels.
2. Government Jobs: Athletes can also apply for jobs in various government sectors based on their sports merits.
3. Continue pursuing sports: The biggest incentive in securing jobs through sports quotas is that athletes can pursue sports, meaning they can play sports for their state or national level teams, while also having the security of the job.

Also Read: Top 10 Indian Athletes Who Made History in 2024

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Eligibility for Sports Quotas In India

As mentioned above, sports quota is a provision for athletes to get admission or employment in various government sectors. The selection is done on the basis of their sporting achievements rather than through a standard selection processes. This initiative aims to promote sports and recognize the achievements of the athletes.

Here are some eligibility criteria for Sports Quota

1. Sports Achievements: Athletes must meet certain conditions before applying for the job or admission in an educational institute. This can include:
   – Participation in national or international events.
   – Winning medals in national or international tournaments.
2. Proof of Achievement: Sports persons must have the proof of their sports achievements, such as certificates, medals, or recognition from sports authorities.
3. Age Limit: Different jobs and educational courses require certain age limits which the athletes must meet before applying.
4. Meeting the Minimum Educational Qualifications: Though sports achievements do get the more weightage when it comes to jobs or admission in colleges, athletes must also meet minimum educational qualifications that may vary based on the requirement (job or education).

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Sports Quotas In India: Opportunities

Since the sports career is short, athlete need the security of the job, which provides a long-term solution to their financial needs. This was one of the reasons why government started the sports quotas for the deserved athletes. But sports quotas are not limited to just jobs, as athletes can also apply for admissions in colleges, or other educational institutions.

1. Encouraging Participation in Sports: Under sports quotas, athletes can continue to pursue sports while doing a job in a government organization. This serves as a motivational tool for athletes to take up sports seriously.
2. Recognition of Talent: Not every sports person is Virat Kohli or Sunil Chhetri. Some athletes remain unnoticed due to either playing a less famous sport such as archery or due to financial or social constraints. In this case, athletes get recognition in the form of job from government under the sports quota system.
3. Financial Security for Sports Persons: Sports Quotas offer financial security in the form of jobs for talented athletes.

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List of sports that fall under Sports Quotas

Below is the list of sports that fall under sports quotas in India:

Archery, Atya-Patya, Badminton, Ball-Badminton, Athletics, Bridge, Carrom, Chess, Cricket, Basketball, Billiards and Snooker, Boxing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Cycling, Equestrian, Ice-Skiing, Ice-Hockey, Ice-Skating, Judo, Karate-DO, Kayaking and Canoeing, Handball, Hockey, Kabaddi, Rifle Shooting, Roller Skating, Rowing, Soft Ball, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennikoit, Kho-Kho, Polo, Powerlifting, Volleyball, weight-lifting, tennis, wrestling, yachting.

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Sports Quotas In India: Challenges

Despite the opportunities, sports quotas pose significant challenges to the growth of Indian sports. These challenges include:

1. Promoting Mediocrity: One of the most criticized aspects of sports quotas is that they sometimes reward mediocrity. Some athletes tend to play for meeting the minimum criteria to secure benefits such as jobs or admission in colleges. Since the seats are always limited, more often than not, deserving candidates miss out on the opportunities. Sports quotas are also a form of mediocrity.
2. Lack of Accountability: Once athletes secure government jobs, they lack the motivation to maintain their previous level of performance. This highlights the major concerning point around sports quota system, which is to land government perks.
3. Emphasis on Certificates: The sports quota system in India heavily relies on certificates, rather than actual talent. This often leads to fabricated achievements and misuse of the system, especially in sports which do not get media coverage. There have been some cases where athletes make fake documents to land government jobs.
4. Political Biases: There is not proper system in awarding the deserved athletes under the sports quota system. Allocation of sports quotas are sometimes influenced by political or regional biases, leading to talented athletes missing out on the deserved opportunities.
5. Ignoring the Grassroots Development: One of the biggest negative aspect of the sports quota system is that it focuses on individual development rather than on the whole sports ecosystem – the grassroot level.
6. Displacing the deserving candidate: Since the seats in the educational institutions and government workplaces are limited, athletes from sports quota end up taking the spot of someone else who is more deserving and possesses better academic and educational skills.

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How Sports Quotas in India Should Work!

To ensure that sports quotas serve their intended purpose and contribute to the overall development of Indian sports, several reforms are needed:

1. Regular Monitoring: There should be a system in place to regularly monitor the performance of athletes who benefit from sports quotas. Only the athletes who managed to sustain a certain level of performance in their sports should continue to get benefits from government.
2. Transparency in Selection: Since the system heavily relies on certificates, especially in less famous sports, government should introduce a more transparent but robust selection process to eliminate cases of fake certificate and misuses of sports quotas.
3. Focus on Grassroots Development: Instead of only rewarding the individual performance, which should continue to make it clear, more steps should be taken to improve the grassroots sports infrastructure to nurture young talent.

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Conclusion – Is Sports Quota Necessary?

As we highlighted above sports quotas in India is a double-edged sword. It has pros as well as cons. While they offer opportunities for athletes to secure better futures, they can also take away opportunities from the deserved candidates since spots are limited in government organizations. Right now, sports quotas focuses more on individual benefits rather than on reforming the whole Indian sports ecosystem. Then there are cases of forgery and misuses of the quotas by some individuals. These are all the flaws that needs addressing. Ultimately, the goal should be to create a culture where talent, merit, and hard work are rewarded.

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Social media has become a powerful tool for everyone. It has the reach to influence people in every corner of the earth, has the power to change their perception on any subject. For someone who is always in the public eye, like a politician or an athlete, social media becomes even more important. Not only social media platforms allow them to connect with their fans, but the tools such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, for that matter, can play a big role in building a personal brand.

Any athlete with a significant presence across social media platforms, can have better chance at earning big collaborations with big brands. With social media, there is a chance of a better career growth off the field.

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Why Personal Branding Matters for Athletes

In this digital age, personal branding is not a choice for an athlete but a necessity. This is the world we are living in. The online presence is critical is an athlete is looking to get the success beyond the field. Let’s be honest, sports career is short for an athlete, and sometimes an injury can shorten that period. That’s why it’s important to invest time in making a big social media presence. This helps in making a strong personal brand which can:

• Attract sponsorships and endorsements
• Increase fan engagement and loyalty from followers
• Provide a platform to share your journey and inspire others
• Open doors to post-career opportunities

Big brands tend to collaborate with athletes who have a big Social media presence. Virat Kohli is the perfect example here. The Indian superstar is the most followed athlete on social media platforms. This is one of the reasons why he attracts sponsorships from big brands.

Also Read: Sports Legends: Icons Who Shaped the World of Sports

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How To Leverage Social Media To Build Your Personal Brand As An Athlete

Step 1: Define Your Brand Identity

Before joining social media, an athlete should take time to define what values he holds dear and how they can help in making a strong personal brand. If you are an athlete, you must ask yourself:

• Who am I as an athlete? Always highlight your strengths, achievements, and the values you stand for with your fans.
• What makes me unique? Consider your personal story, interests, and passions outside of sports.
• What is my Goal? Think about the goal beyond the sports field. It should be about the message you want to convey and the impact you want to create on your fans’ lives.

Step 2: Choose the Right Platforms

Every social media platform is different, so as an athlete, you should approach them differently as each one serves a different purpose. For example:

• Instagram: Ideal for sharing photos and short video stories with fans. The content can be anything from training sessions to behind-the-scenes moments from matches or dressing room.
• Twitter: Great for engaging with fans, sharing opinions, and staying updated on the happenings in the world.
• YouTube: Perfect for long-form content such as vlogs, tutorials, and interviews. YouTube also has a short video option like Instagram, so it’s an option to share reels as well.
• LinkedIn: Useful for networking with professionals, sharing career updates, and showcasing your achievements.

Step 3: Create High-Quality Content

Even if you a successful athlete on the field, without the quality content, you might struggle to gain a significant following. So understand that the content is the most valuable aspect of your social media strategy. To build a strong personal brand, focus on key elements such as:

• Authenticity: Remain genuine and truthful with your fans. Share your struggle, your journey, experiences and emotions you feel after the win and defeat. Never forget that fans connect more with authenticity than perfection.
• Engaging Content: Also, the type of content play a huge role in gaining followers on social media platforms. Besides writing your thoughts, also use visuals and videos to keep your fans engaging.
• Add Values: As there’s no dearth of content on social media, as an athlete you should aim to provide value to your audience by sharing tips, insights, and motivational stories. For example, if you are a cricketer, you can provide insight on how to improve shot-making as a batsman.
• Consistent: Be consistent. Post regularly to keep your audience engaged.

Step 4: Share Your Story

As an athlete, it’s your journey that sets you apart from the rest. Fans, especially the young ones, are always interested to know how you made it to the top of the sport. Your journey is your most powerful assets. So use it effectively. Use social media to tell your story, from the challenges you’ve faced to the success you’ve achieved. You can target key moments such as:

• The early days of your career
• Overcoming obstacles and setbacks
• Training routines and preparation for tournaments and competitions
• Diet, Sleep cycle and whatever made a difference in your sports journey.

Step 5: Engage With Fans

Social media is a two-way street. Building a personal brand isn’t just about posting and sharing videos from training, it’s also about connecting with your fans. To engage fans, you can:

• Respond to comments and messages: It’s not possible to interact with every fan’s comment, but try to engage with as many as you can.
• Host live sessions: Go live on your social media platforms, and engage directly with fans.
• Recognize Your Fans: Highlight some fans’ comments if you think that deserves a shoutout.
• Conduct Polls: Try to do activities such as conducting polls, asking questions about subjects, be it sports or you off-field activities.

Step 6: Choose Brands and Sponsors carefully

As your social media presence grows, you’ll attract the attention of brands and sponsors. There might even come a stage when your hands are full of every kind of sponsorships. But remember:

• Sign only with brands that share your values: Only collaborate with brands that resonate with your values. For example, as an athlete, you don’t want to sign with brands that sell tobaccos or wines.
• Be professional: Always be professional while dealing with media communications and shooting for advertisements for brands.

Step 7: Beware of what you post

While the power of social media can’t be exaggerated, it has its cons as well. There are enough examples where an athlete lost credibility due to some posts that triggered a negative reaction. There is a fine line here and to manage this, an athlete should:

• Think twice before posting content: Always think before posting a content on social media. Fans belong to different beliefs and races. So avoid sharing sensitive or controversial content.
• Address negative comments gracefully: An an athlete with a big presence across social media platforms, you are bound to get negative reactions. So always respond to criticism gracefully. Also, learn how to ignore trolls.

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Making of a personal brand

Building a personal brand is a long journey and requires consistent efforts, dedication, creativity, and authenticity. With the help of social media, athletes can amplify their voice and connect with fans. But always remember that to leverage the power of social media, you must create engaging content, while also staying true to your values.

Your personal brand is more than just your on-field achievements. It’s about who you are as a person, how you carry off the field and how you treat your fans.

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Nurturing and raising children is like molding the clay. Just like the clay take the shape of our imagination, what we speak, our actions and what we teach our children, everything, play a huge role in shaping our children’s future. But we must also remember that not every child is same. Everyone is unique. Some are born with gifts, like Lionel Messi, who the God created, as it seems, only to play football. But it’s also true that Messi became a footballer because his parents supported him, allowing him to pursue his dreams.

In India, where education is the priority for most parents, sports often takes a back seat, even if the child possesses talent in a particular sport. We are not saying that one should put all the eggs in one basket, meaning, sacrificing the one for the other, in this case education and sports. But striking a balance between education and sport could enable their children to succeed both on the field and in the classroom.

Also Read: The Role of Football Academies in India’s Talent Pipeline

Understanding the Importance of Balance between Sports And Education

Education is supremely important, no matter what field you choose. Even if you want to become a cyclist, you need to understand that right education can set you apart from the rest. For example, as a professional cyclist, you need to know which exercises are best to gain strength, and strength, what nutrition should you choose while also understanding the biomechanics.

So as a parent, you should never come to a situation when you ae choosing one over the other and sacrificing the other forever. If you child loves the sport, but is forced to pursue education at all costs, it could dissuade him from the studies as well. In addition, even if your child is not good at sports but excel in academics, motivating him to play sports can offer numerous benefits, including physical fitness, teamwork, discipline, and improved self-esteem. So it’s the job of parents to encourage a balance between sports and academics, so that your child can develop life skills such as time management, resilience, and adaptability.

Also Read The Journey of an Indian Footballer: From Grassroots to ISL

How Parents Can Make a Difference

Parents play the most important role in creating the right environment for their children. It’s an old adage that highlights the importance of parents in the life of their children, that parents are a child’s first teacher and the home is the first school. It’s the job of parents to teach their children the value of time management and how discipline can reap the desired rewards. Also, here’s how parents can teach their child to strike balance between sports and education.

1. Teach the importance of Sports and Education

From the beginning, when your child is old enough to show inclination towards one particular field, you must find the right approach to establish the importance of both education and sports in your child’s life. Make it clear that while excelling in sports is valuable, education is equally important and should not be neglected. Impart the idea that education is the foundation upon which long-term success is built.

2. Create a Structured Routine

It goes without saying that we have a limited time in which we have to do all our tasks, including the leisure activities. But a successful person tends to get the most out of his time because he works within in well-structured routine. So parents should teach their children the importance of following a schedule. With this, it’s easy to manage the demands of both schoolwork and sports practice. Work with your child to create a schedule that allocates sufficient time for:

• School hours and homework
• Sports training and competitions
• Rest and recovery
• Leisure and family time

In today’s world, there are many tools, such as calendar, and mobile apps, that can help your child stay organized. But it’s important to note that the schedule should be realistic and easy to maintain.

3. Encourage Time Management Skills

Encouraging the importance of time management could be the game changer for your child. It helps in maximizing the output through careful planning of spending a certain amount of time on a specific task. It’s easy to inculcate this habit in your child. Encourage your kid to complete homework before going to practice, or discourage using mobile or watching tv when they are doing their homework. These skills will not only help them succeed now but will also be invaluable in their adult lives.

4. Maintain a Consistent Communication With Coaches and Teachers

Parents should always maintain open communication with their child’s coaches and teachers. With this, parents as well as teachers can monitor a child’s progress and whether they need special attention in any way. An effective communication can help in managing schedules. Also, if a child is into sports, parents can always communicate with school to seek flexibility homework or alternative arrangements when needed.

5. Monitor Academic and Sports Progress

When your child is pursuing sports with education, parents should always keep a close eye on academic performance as well as on the progress on the sports field. It’s all about keeping a balance between sports and education. Steps such as time management, maintaining a schedule, regular communication with your children and their teachers and coaches, can help in monitoring progress in both academics and sports field. If the grades are declining, or the assignments are pending, try to address any areas of concern promptly.

Similarly, if you notice a decline in performance on the sports field, or the progress is negligible, discuss possible solutions with coaches for additional support.

6. Inculcate Good Eating Habits

Always remember that eating habits can make or break your child’s sports career. So teach your kids the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet right from the outset. Like other habits, eating habits are also formed from the very beginning. Indulging in fast food such as pizza or burgers once in a blue moon won’t harm your child but it should never become a normalcy.

Also Read: Youth Football in India: Challenges and Opportunities

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Long-Term Benefits of Balancing Education and Sports

Never compare sports with education or vice-versa. You can never be sure about which field your children might excel in if you don’t allow them to pursue with all their efforts. And that’s possible if your children learn to strike a balance between academics and sports. Here are some benefits of pursuing both sports and education:

• Strong work ethic: Juggling multiple responsibilities teaches discipline and perseverance.
• Problem-solving skills: Children who pursue sports and education tend to develop better problem-solving skills.
• Broader career options: Sports career can be short. So a solid educational foundation together with sports ensures that children have a wide range of opportunities to explore.

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Final Thoughts

As a parent, it’s your job and responsibility to support your child in every field, whether he chooses to pursue his dreams on a sports field or in academics. Your support and guidance can make all the difference in your child’s journey as a student who is also into sports. By adopting a balanced approach, you nurture your children to become well-rounded individuals who are prepared to face the challenges and opportunities of the future.

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