Winning marks-for-sports game
With EQ in place of IQ and grades in place of marks, the big question in India is, can sports be on a par with academics in schools? This is an issue that is being keenly debated by academics, government and opinion makers, writes Swati Rai

why and how do sports help a child in developing a wholistic personality? “Sports should be promoted in schools not only to overcome lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes but also because of the many conflict-resolving life skills it teaches a child,” says Mona Singh, Principal, Guru Nanak Public School, Ludhiana. Elaborating upon the significance of sports in a child’s development, Stanley Vinod Kumar, Principal YPS Patiala, avers, “Public schooling is all about the all-round development of the child, therefore, sports has always been an important part of a child’s routine in such schools. Esprit de corps, sportsmanship and fending for one’s self are qualities that sports helps to develop. In our school, games and sports are compulsory for all students. There is a provision for students to choose physical education as an optional subject where they get to do practical exams and choose their team event.”

The Right to Education Act has made it mandatory for schools to have a playground. But what is the attitude of the society that still treats five-pointers on the GPA scale, as pariahs? What is the outlook of the parent community with regard to this issue?Mona Singh says, “It pains me to say that only a fraction of the parent community has started viewing sports as an important aspect of their ward’s education. Most think it to be a waste of time.” 

Revere sports heroes

What is the attitude of people towards sports in general and sportspersons in specific? Rakeyesh Om Prakash Mehra is making a biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag on India’s living legend Milkha Singh and on the endurance of the human spirit. He says, “Sports has been very close to my heart since childhood. We should revere our sporting heroes, but, living in a funny nation as ours, we worship cardboard heroes and fake stars.” So where does this respect for sports come from? Heena Sidhu, ace shooter and a gold medallist at the CWG 2010, says, “If a country wants an excellent sporting track, then it needs to make sports an integral part of a child’s world. Being from YPS, Patiala, helped me in respecting sports.” Rakyesh Mehra echoes the same sentiment, “I am from Air Force School, New Delhi, our principal Mrs Bakshi, gave us the required support to participate in championships by making sure that we were given leeway to catch up with our academics. The state has to support us in making sports a feasible career option; fit enough to provide financial sustenance.” 

Sports oncelluliod India has seen a rise in the number of movies made on sports, which augurs well for the sporting future! Here is low-down of sporting traits on the 70mm screen! 1VICTORY This Harman Baweja starrer depicts the ‘against-all-odds’ grit of a quintessential sportsperson, to realise an impossible dream. 2LAGAAN Starring Aamir Khan, in this saga cricket becomes a metaphor for a village’s dignity and pride. 3CHAK DE INDIA! Shah Rukh Khan, plays out poetic justice on the hockey field where a sportsperson’s lost honour is redeemed after a classic victory. 4PATIALA HOUSE Showcases how Akshay Kumar’s passion for sports overcomes parental opposition. 5SPEEDY SINGHS Starring Vijay Virmani, it shows how a hardworking team player can achieve glory.

Not viable career option 

The fact remains that very few students’ choice of sports in school translates into them choosing the same as a career. Akshit Saini, of Patiala, who stood second in the Punjab State Roller Skating Championship could not participate in the Nationals because of his board exams. J.K Saini, Akshit’s father says, “Yes, managing academics and a sport does become tricky when it comes to making a choice. As parents we fully support Akshit’s passion, but taking it up as a career was never our priority.”
It is clear that India is not viewed as a sporting nation. A step in sports awareness generation is being taken by Dharmesh Jain, Chairman and MD, Nirmal Lifestyle. In association with NDTV, he started the “Marks-for-Sports” campaign. Talking of his inspiration, he asserts, “Traditionally sports have never been a part of the assessment parameter of a child’s development. They have not been given their due in the contribution they make to a child’s personality.” Campaigners for “The Marks-for- Sports” campaign collected 16, 13,319 signatures in support of the cause from over 300 schools across 14 states, which were then taken by the students to their respective chief ministers. Talking of the support of the Central Government, NDTV states, “The Union Sports Minister of India, Ajay Maken identified with our cause and has passed a resolution urging the sports ministers of all the states to include sports as a subject in the school curriculum. The Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal graced the Spirit of Sports Awards and assured us of his support to the campaign.”

States should Lead

The heart may be in the right place but education being a state subject; it is for the individual state governments to implement this policy. States like Goa and Tamil Nadu have set an example on how sports can be successfully enmeshed into the curriculum. Each state has to work at the ground level to implement this. 

Haryana is one of the states which has been promoting sports and sportspersons like Sandeep Singh, the ace drag-flicker who secured the Indian Hockey team’s place in the London 2012 by scoring five goals in the final of a qualifying tournament against France. In the CWG 2010 India’s medals tally, 32 medals were secured by sportspersons from Haryana. A heartening message was also sent to the winners with cash and kind rewards. The support shown by The chief ministers of Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand to the Nirmal Lifestyle and NDTV “Marks-for- Sports” campaign, is a positive sign for sports in India. Dharmesh Jain adds, “Since education is a state subject, therefore, our focus is also on the state board schools. We are in constant touch with educationists, school boards, ministries to galvanising momentum to make this dream into a reality.” He says, “We aim to help introduce the Marks-for-Sports policy in six to 10 states by the end of this year.” 

Leeway for players

Speaking of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), Mona Singh, states, “CBSE has the provision for the school to highlight the achievements of a child in sports, based on which her grade in any one of the scholastic subjects is upgraded. CBSE also organises cluster-level sports competitions. up to the nationals: “CCE is limited up to Class X only and has no bearing on the +2 level, which is a turning point in a child's life. The new rule in the amended bylaws of the CBSE has lowered the attendance requirement of students participating in recognised national sports to 60 per cent in Class XII. Since the state and national-level players have a rigid regimen, something more should be done so that they do not suffer on the academic front.” There may be policies and acts in place, but their implementation on the ground is where the real action begins.When asked whether his biopic will be the initiation of a mass movement to support sports in schools, Mehra states, “One does not make a movie to create movements but if it does like it did with Rang De Basanti, I will only be glad!’ Amen!

CBSE has the provision for schools to highlight the chievements of a child in the field of sports  Mona Singh, Principal, Guru Nanak Public School, Ludhiana

The state has to support us in making sports a feasible career option; fit enough to provide financial sustenance. Rakeyesh Om Prakash Mehra, Director of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, on Milkha Singh

Traditionally sports have never been a part of the assessment parameter of a child’s development. Dharmesh Jain, Chairman and MD Nirmal Lifestyle, campaigner for mark-for-sports

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