The power of sports literacy | Kanishka Pandey | TEDxIMTGhaziabad

Key Concepts

• Sports as a tool for social change and unification
• Sports culture and sports literacy
• Sports and personality development
• Sports and mental health (depression, anxiety, stress)
• Sports and social/community development
• Sports and conflict resolution (industrial disputes, terrorism)
• Sports literacy survey
• Model sports village initiative
• Right to sport as a fundamental right

The Power of Sports and the Journey to Promote Sports Culture

The speaker begins by highlighting Nelson Mandela's belief in the power of sports to change the world and inspire, specifically referencing Mandela's use of rugby in post-apartheid South Africa to bridge divides. He recommends John Carlin's book "Playing the Enemy" or the movie "Invictus" for further understanding.

He then transitions to his personal journey of promoting sports research and culture in India, emphasizing that terms like "sports culture" and "sports literacy" were largely unheard of a few years ago.

Early Research and the Genesis of "Sports A Way of Life"

The speaker recounts his graduation from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and his initial failure to get into law faculty. This led him to question why the values instilled by sports were expected of amateur athletes but not necessarily of elite athletes.

He embarked on a three-year research project, resulting in a 750-page comprehensive work exploring various aspects of sports:

• Sports and Personality Development: How participation in sports builds values and qualities.
• Sports and Depression: Initial research showed sports can play a crucial role in overcoming anxiety, stress, negativity, and depression. This research is ongoing.
• Sports and Social Development/Community Development: The role of sports in building stronger communities.
• Sports and Industrial Disputes: Exploring the potential of sports in resolving labor-management conflicts.
• Sports and Terrorism: Investigating the role of sports in countering terrorism.

This research was condensed into a book published by a renowned publishing house. While some appreciated the work, others were skeptical, particularly regarding claims about sports resolving issues like anxiety or labor disputes. This skepticism led to the creation of the NGO "Sports A Way of Life" in 2017, with the primary objective of implementing the research findings.

The Reality Check: Sports Literacy Survey and its Staggering Results

The speaker emphasizes the difference between theoretical research and practical implementation. They quickly realized that many people lacked basic knowledge of sports beyond cricket, football, volleyball, hockey, and basketball. Furthermore, a significant portion of the population held a negative view of sports, considering it a distraction from academics and career development.

To understand the situation better, they conducted India's first sports literacy survey in 2017, using the New Delhi and older railways mission to achieve a pan-India reach with limited resources. The results were "staggering":

• Only 5.56% of the Indian population was found to be directly sports literate.
• The sports literacy rate for females was as low as 2%.

This highlighted the core problem behind India's underperformance in international sporting events: poor sports literacy and a poor sporting culture.

India's First Sports Literacy Mission and Key Initiatives

To address the problem, they launched India's first sports literacy mission in 2017. All subsequent initiatives fell under this umbrella.

1. Sports Alphabetical Booklets:

• The concept: If children can learn "A for apple," they can learn "A for athletics" and "B for basketball."
• The booklets associate each letter of the alphabet with a sport, aiming to provide basic sports knowledge and promote alphabetical literacy.
• The booklets were well-received and even became part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a central government scheme.

2. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for Right to Sport:

• Inspired by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution (right to life) and the Supreme Court's interpretation of it as "right to live with dignity," the speaker filed a PIL in the Supreme Court.
• The PIL requested that the right to sport be recognized as a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution.
• The PIL was accepted, notices were issued to the central and state governments, and a senior advocate was appointed to oversee the matter.

3. Model Sports Village Initiative:

• A project launched in 2020 in collaboration with IMT Ghaziabad, adopting a village in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
• The vision: To transform the village into a model sports village where:
  • Maximum population participates in sports (directly or indirectly).
  • People have a positive outlook towards sports.
  • People play for fun and entertainment.
  • There is social development and community building through sports.
  • There is women empowerment through sports.
• Initial challenges: Only two children attended the training centers.
• The solution:
  • Staying in the village to understand the parents' concerns.
  • Addressing the economic realities: Children were seen as human resources contributing to family income.
  • Convincing parents by showing them their children's happiness while playing.
  • Organizing an inter-village sports meet with prizes and recognition, attracting 800 participants.
  • Leveraging Arjuna, Dronacharya, and Khel Ratna awardees to promote the message.
• The result: Participation increased to 150 within a month and peaked at 550 children in the training programs.

Conclusion and the Untrodden Path

The speaker concludes by emphasizing that the journey is ongoing, despite the success of the Model Sports Village initiative. He reiterates his dream of making India a sporting powerhouse with a highly sports-literate population.

He shares an interaction with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who described two paths in life:

• The trodden path: Doing what everyone else does, leading a decent life with limited achievements and contributions.
• The untrodden path: Creating one's own path, facing difficulties and uncertainties but having unlimited potential for achievement and contribution.

The speaker chose the untrodden path, aiming to create a sporting culture in India. He expresses confidence in achieving this goal with the support of his team.