Sports Industry means any sponsor, corporate entity, legal person, broadcaster, or any other individual or entity involved in promoting, developing, and/or investing, either directly or indirectly, in sports-related activities in India.
Sports are considered as a strategic sector and development of domestic capabilities is essential from a national pride and overall development perspective. Sports sector has multiplier effect and has bearing on the growth of other industries. Sports sector is extremely crucial for the development of the country’s economy. Additional benefits are channelization of youth’s energy in constructive activities, increased employment opportunities across health, tourism and education domain, improvement in health of the citizens.
Other countries have already leveraged sports for employment generation, tourism promotion by conducting marquee events, infrastructure and economic development. Besides this, major sporting nations have performed exceedingly well on health indicators as well.
Skill erosion in sports is a serious constraint: More than 90 per cent of the sports persons who take up sports as a passion leave sports because of non-availability of opportunities within Sports Sector. The limited employment opportunities act as a deterrent for those who want to pursue sports because only 2-5 per cent reaches excellence in sports. Even those who reach at pinnacle leave it due to lack of career opportunities. The education system has no stream for sports at any level, except in isolated institutions. This is a constraint in getting persons with the special skills, and aptitude that is required for the various roles.
It demands skill development for sports and allied activities which can be created by giving right direction and orientation to the Sports persons which is possible by rapid institutional capacity building of existing institutes. This will fulfill the demand of skilled personnel and will also provide opportunities to those people/ players who are passionate for a career in sports but don’t get the opportunities. In the long run this initiative will create eco-system in sports sector.
Skills development in sports is required across following sub sectors to begin with:
- Athlete Coach Development
- Grassroots sports promotion
- Improving overall health and well-being of the citizens
- Sports Science – Emotional and Physical Wellbeing of Athletes
- Sports Club and Academies
- Sports Marketing and Management Professionals
- Sports Infrastructure Management and Development
- Sports Manufacturing and retailing