Cities around the world feel proud of hosting Olympics or country feels bigheaded winning medals. But for India, this moment is yet to come for hosting or regular wining at Olympics. At the moment India has only one individual and team hockey gold medal at the Olympics. Some argue over the year’s rules and regulations of Sports changes and we have not yet changed the way we play.
Perhaps one of our greatest obstacles is sporting infrastructure in towns & cities to facilitate budding players. Almost all of our towns & cities are not designed or planned with integration of sports. Although one of our greatest contributions to the world is urban planning in past reflected at ancient valleys of Mahenjo Daro & Harappa. Presently India hosts more than ten thousand and near about one third of its population living in Cities & Towns.

The Challenge

We need our cities & towns planned & designed for grooming world class athletes to compete at the international sporting meets. Same time Indian cities needed to promote its brand for hosting Olympics, Asian Games or world championships etc. Indian cities have the potential to retrofit Sports Facility in City Planning and host future international events including Olympics and Asian Games etc. Having such events in India will add value to the country and City Brands. What is needed today is to facilitate our towns & cities in understanding importance of Sports in City Management & Planning. Therefore on this auspicious National Sports Day 2011, we launched a campaign of building an advocacy with Indian Cities within title India for Olympics (IFO).

India for Olympics

India for Olympics (IFO) a program of the Local Governance Network with commitment of bridging gap between performance of Indian and world’s Best Cities by helping them to understand importance of hosting Olympic or Asian or International sports events. IFO also endeavors to build necessary advocacy amongst cities in integrating world class sports facility for Athletes in enabling them to be competitive at National & International level. In other way each city should feel proud for producing Olympians as its Brand. At the moment India is unable participate in all events that’s takes place for winning a medal at Olympics due to lack of sports infrastructure in our cities. Same time cities need to be taught understanding the importance of building world class sporting facilities like their worldwide counterpart. So that our cities would be able to found deserving Athletes potential of winning medals at future sporting events including Olympic Games.

How we plan to move

IFO effort is to compliment progress of Government, Sports Federation and Indian Olympic Association etc in building a mutual relationship with Local Governments understanding each other. This will further enhance both bidding for hosting future Olympics events for an Indian city. IFO proposes to bring together Mayors, Olympians, Sportspersons, Corporate leaders, journalists and volunteers etc to discuss together in identifying desired infrastructure, emerging athletes, understand their needs and support them in reaching their Goal. We believe Cities have the potential to turn India’s image at the Olympics and same for the Country. Today around the Globe many smaller cities and countries have hosted Olympics and produced world class athletes, there is no reason why India can’t host or produce world class Athletes winning medals for our nation. Therefore IFO would like to concentrate building a professional deserving team along with partnering other likeminded to push universal agenda. So both our cities and athletes will have access to the best facilities and feel the spirit of being inside Olympics while practicing in India.

Your Views & Feed Back is Welcome

We invite your views & active participation. Write to us at piyush.rout@lgnet.in, Co Founder Cum Executive Director, Local Governance Network.