MUMBAI: Madhya Pradesh minister for sports and youth welfare Yashodhara Raje Scindia has said that “developed countries take sport seriously because it is an expression of status, developed and a progressive society, stemming from the essential building block of self worth.”
Scindia was speaking at the inauguration of the second edition of The Times of India Global Sports Business Show (GSBS) 2017 on Thursday at NESCO, Mumbai. The first day’s agenda focussed on enabling the Indian Olympics vision and the intent to build a bright future for the sports fraternity and fitness enthusiasts in India.
The three day platform aims at building a sports and fitness business ecosystem bringing together top corporates, leading stakeholders, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, policy makers, sports leagues, sports management companies and industry stakeholders under one roof. The exhibition spread over 6000+ square, has an exhibitor category featuring national and international brands, focused conferences, B2B meets, allied activities, international and national buyers and hands-on workshops.
Olympic Task Force member Om Pathak said, “Sports Task Force was set up to understand why India has not done as well as the potential it has and what is it that we need to do going forward. The mandate included creating robust infrastructure, providing training and selection of athletes.”
Former tennis player Somdev Devvarman who spoke at the event said, “Building a champion doesn’t happen overnight, we need to start building culture from a school level. If sportsis made mandatory in school since early childhood, the children of our country will blossom in life. Creating culture of sports is the first step towards building a stronger base. We can’t be waiting every four years to realize the worth we have in Olympics, we have to encourage our people everyday, it’s not about only winning it’s about playing and true sportsmanship. It is imperative to reinvent culture through creating awareness of sports not just to win medals but for a healthier and happy nation.”
