Cricket – A Scapegoat for Bad Performances?

One Sport’s loss is another Sport’s gain? Cricket, in India, is more than just a religion. On a match-day, you will see a number of cricket enthusiasts flocked in front of shops and chai-wallas to catch a glimpse of the match. Many of them don’t mind discussing the nit-wits of the sport with strangers. After-all  Every Indian is a cricket pundit from birth.

India finished with an all-time high medals tally of six medals. It was interesting to see how the down-trodden sports have come up against the odds at the Olympics. Many of the so-called pundits claimed that the sole reason behind India’s failure is the lack of resources. Many of the Indians accepted it as well, but little do they know that the lack of resources is no more an issue in India. A state like Uttar Pradesh boasts of three world class shooting ranges. Yes, maybe the shooters have to travel a lot to get to the desired ranges but their complains about the lack of resources is ridiculous.

You will often see Indian football fans blaming Cricket for the situation of football in India. Most of the football fans in India either support Manchester United or Barcelona or Liverpool. They can even tell you the names of every player in the respective squads. Ask them about any club in the i-league. The reason will become crystal clear. We prefer supporting a foreign club instead of supporting our own teams. The lack of motivation shows on the Indian players. No one wants to be the next Baichung Bhutia, instead, they want to be the next Messi. The debacle of Football vs Cricket is pointless.

Why is it so hard for Indians to accept that we lack the required talent to be the best in the world? People like to see and play a game they are good at and maybe that’s why Cricket rules the roost in India. Instead of blaming a sport, shouldn’t we be trying to better ourselves in other sports as well. Hating Cricket won’t stop the problem but loving other sports will.