There are cricketers and there are other sportspersons. While cricketers are a pampered lot and while they are paid huge amounts for what they do, hardly anyone comes forward to recognise and reward achievers in other disciplines.

The key here is doing things professionally. Cricketers earning big amounts and being more popular is not something other sports should be sad about. They are paid for the sacrifices they make. They leave their families behind and are on tour for long periods of time. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is an organised and a professional body. Its president Mr Sharad Pawar is a powerful man. But he does not interfere in the selection of the team. This is where the other sports lose out.

Calendar for marketting sports
Sports like hockey, in which India had done exceptionally well over the years, has a lot of forgotten heroes. I feel that administrators should not be in the seat of power for ages. They remain in the seat but do little for the improvement of the sport. They have created a bad system and do not want to change. They do not try and market the sport like cricket. If a sport is not marketed, there is no popularity and money does not come in. To market a sport, there needs to be planning for the future too. They need to be organised and have a calendar, international and domestic. And not short term but a long term one. A calendar needs to exist, say from Olympics to the next, or one Asiad to the next.

National pride is something all sportspersons have. But what is national pride if there is no food on the player’s table. One needs to be realistic. When cricketers do not play well, people get very upset because it is popular and they are paid well to do well.

Take Olympic sports for example. One has to compete with other athletes who have had far more funds, better training facilities, coaches and equipment. A Viswanathan Anand or Pankaj Advani emerging champions inspite of such difficulties is fantastic. But where is the security in life for the Anands and the Advanis? This is exactly the reason people take up cricket. It has become a commercial industry.

Government’s apathy
I am not hurt that the BCCI pays cricketers large amounts. In fact, if they play well, reward them even more. What hurts is government apathy towards other sports. Why give to those that already have in excess?

Cricket is made for television but other sports like hockey should have the intricacies covered better. Having played for India for several years now, if I do not feel like watching hockey on TV, how can one expect the common man to do so. Sports telecasts should look flashy. That way, the Premier Hockey League has done a good job. So, the broadcaster and commentary should be professional and entertaining. To create stars, you create a brand.

When it comes to the National federations, most of them are run by bureaucrats and politicians. In the state associations, it is the same. Associations must be run like a company. Apart from the posts of the president and the secretary perhaps, we should have paid professionals as well. Former sportspersons should be in charge of the policy-making. Pay them too. Other sports will surely improve.

Clear-cut sports policy
Government departments concerned with sports should be active. A sports policy should be formulated and should be clear-cut. Reward a player if he or she does well. The government should be active in recognising and grooming talent in the other districts of the state as well.

We have many stadia. I feel they can be used for commercial ventures. Then channel the money back into the sport. A child wanting to practice should have no hitch. The child should have a coach to teach him. There should not be a situation wherein the child has to pay a lot for coaching. Schools should support more Olympic disciplines rather than just cricket.

Take such measures and there will not be disparity between cricket and other sports.

As told to Vivek Phadnis