What is holding back Indian kids from playing sports?

Recently, when Bollywood actor R Madhavan and his wife Sarita decided to move to Abu Dhabi for their son Vedaant’s swimming training, it was popular news on several media platforms. Vedaant desired to represent India at the Olympics, and his parents believed in and supported his aspirations, something that’s quite unconventional among Indian families.   

Although enrolling kids in all kinds of extracurricular activities after school hours has become a trend in recent years, academic performance still takes center stage for most parents. Getting involved in regular physical activity can play a huge role in boosting your child’s fitness, mental alertness, energy levels and performance at school.  

Here are a few reasons why taking an active interest in children’s sports still isn’t more mainstream amongst Indian parents: 

Stubborn upbringing – Just because parents choose to prioritise academics doesn’t mean the child should do the same. Supporting children’s interest in sports can help them develop a variety of life skills, inculcating in them the values they need to grow into happy, healthy and successful adults. 

Lack of training facilities – India’s lack of sports infrastructure and training facilities is another factor that curbs parents’ interest in supporting their children’s sports dreams. Not all families can afford to relocate to other countries solely to provide the right training for their children. This is a major reason for the loss of sports talent in the country, with poor infrastructure and planning leading to potential sports stars never being discovered or assisted in fulfilling their full potential. 

Sports as a supplement – Sports is considered to be a healthy supplement for kids and not a major skill that needs to be focused on. Because it is not academically compulsory, sports activities become an afterthought, to be pursued at leisure or during the child’s free time after classes. Parents need to be observant and understand whether their child’s interest in sports should be encouraged with the right training programs to help them excel.  

Risk factor – The chances of succeeding in a sport at the international level tend to be clouded by risk and uncertainty due to various factors.  Taking this into consideration, parents often are reluctant to put their children under the pressures that come with seriously pursuing a career in sports.  

Lack of awareness – Indian parents lack a general awareness about sports. In recent times, families are beginning to realise that an active lifestyle involving physical fitness and sporting activities is important for the overall development of every growing child.  

UpUgo’s age-specific programs focus on the holistic development of children, with fun-filled physical fitness sessions. These are designed to enhance physical and mental health. Our trained coaches regularly assess your child’s development at every step.