DH Bengaluru 2040 Summit | Make playing easy in the City again, says Rahul Dravid

Bengaluru: Indian cricket great Rahul Dravid on Saturday called for Bengaluru’s growth story to include easier access to play for children, saying time and space for sport must not become casualties of traffic and infrastructure pressure.

Speaking as the keynote speaker at the DH Bengaluru 2040 Summit, Dravid rooted his address in personal memory before turning to the city’s future.

"For me, Bengaluru has always been a sporting city, long before it found its place in the global map as a technology and innovation hub," said the 53-year-old cricketer-turned coach, recalling a childhood where sport was "stitched into everyday life, into school days, neighbourhoods and friendships".

Dravid spoke about growing up at St Joseph’s Boys High School, where many of his memories were "more outside classes than inside". Running around hockey fields and playing school-level cricket, he said, shaped values beyond sport but in teamwork, discipline and humility.

"Those afternoons shaped habits of effort and humility, long before anyone spoke about professional pathways or performance metrics," he said.

He remembered playing on stretches like 12th Gate Road, which for a few hours would turn into a cricket ground.

"The wickets were improvised, the rules flexible, but the joy was there. Those unstructured, inclusive games were where a lasting love for sport grew,” he said, adding that watching Ranji Trophy matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with his father deepened that connection.

However, Dravid noted that while the city has expanded its sporting infrastructure with academies -- structured coaching and sports science -- it has also "quietly" taken something away. He said the expansion has brought many benefits, but it has also created new challanges for families trying to find time for play.

"Bangalore today faces a challenge that comes with growth. The influx of people has brought opportunity, diversity, and energy. But it has also placed enormous pressure on infrastructure. Traffic, in particular, has become one of the city’s biggest challenges," he said.

The consequence, he pointed out, is fewer spontaneous hours of play. In many ways, this shift is gradual but deeply noticable in everyday life.

"Hours spent commuting often mean hours lost from play. What was once spontaneous is now something that must be carefully planned. For children especially, this loss is significant."

Dravid said he sees this shift most clearly through his own children.

"Even with access to facilities, supported schools, and parents who value sport, creating space for free play requires intent. It has to be protected. Sometimes deliberately carved out from busy schedules and long days," he said.

He added that if it takes conscious effort in relatively privileged circumstances, it must be harder for families with fewer resources. The issue, he suggested, is not about intent but about logistics and the pressures of a fast-growing city that is still evolving.

"For many parents, the hesitation isn’t about the value of sport, but about the time and logistics involved," he said, warning that play risks becoming "another item on an already crowded" schedule rather than a natural part of childhood.

Calling for a rethink as the city plans ahead, Dravid said, "As we build a future-ready city, the challenge before us is to reimagine how sport can once again fit seamlessly into daily life. Not only through elite pathways of entrepreneurship, but through simple, accessible opportunities to play."

He stressed that a sporting city is not defined only by infrastructure. "It is defined by how easy it is for a child to step outside and play,” he said, urging governments to protect open spaces, schools and colleges to open facilities during non-instructional hours, and corporates to support shared public spaces.

"Reintroducing the play space. When selected roads are closed for a few hours to allow children to play freely and safely. Bengaluru has always balanced tradition with progress. It is a city that shows up when it matters," he said.

The former India coach concluded by saying: "Our responsibility is clear: To ensure that every child in this city has the freedom and space to play, learn and grow through sport."