NEW DELHI, July 30: The Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI) has released a white paper, calling for making sports such as football mainstream academic disciplines and awarding qualifications for them on par with subjects like mathematics and science.
The white paper titled “Building a Healthy Nation: A White Paper on Olympic Sports and the Indian Education System” authored by AFPI national president Dr Raman Kumar, delves into systemic issues hindering India’s Olympic performance and proposes innovative reforms to integrate sports with the mainstream education system.
The white paper was published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
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“The Indian education system has produced top-class global corporate leaders. But our Olympic performance has remained modest. This white paper systematically organises the available knowledge and debates around India’s sporting performance against the backdrop of our mainstream education culture,” Dr Kumar said.
The white paper highlights India’s historical and contemporary challenges in sports, identifying key factors such as inadequate sports infrastructure, limited access to quality coaching and funding constraints.
It argues for the absolute equivalence of Olympic sports disciplines with general academic disciplines within the Indian education system.
The paper calls for including sports like football as mainstream academic disciplines and awarding qualifications on par with subjects like mathematics and science.
Dr Kumar said, “Addressing these challenges and creating a supportive environment that values and promotes sporting abilities alongside academic excellence is essential to harness the potential of sports in schools fully.”
“This requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders, including the schooling system, educational institutions, government, sports organisations, corporate sponsors, and the community.”
Comparing sports with education, the white paper suggested that a balanced approach can lead to success in both arenas.
“Our educational institutions have fostered great minds who have excelled globally. By integrating sports into our education system, we can replicate this success in the sports domain, producing scholars and world-class athletes,” Dr Kumar remarked.
Additionally, the document discusses the impact of cricket’s dominance over other sports, the decline in rural sports culture, and the need for societal reforms to address the stereotyping of sportspersons in the Indian education system.
It also outlines the potential economic opportunities that a robust sports culture can bring to the country’s people.
In its call to action, the white paper urges establishing a National Sports Open School Examination Board and a National Sports Open University to provide flexible, athlete-friendly education systems.
It also advocates for a National Sportsperson Social Security Scheme through an act of Parliament to ensure the comprehensive well-being of athletes. (PTI)
