Successful Career In Sports
For a nation that eats, drinks and sleeps cricket, isn't it ironic that fielding a career in sports is looked upon with such distrust here? Shraddha Kamdar analyses whether a career in sports can, actually, be a feasible option for talented youngsters
It was a spectacle to watch the rustic Iqbal make it from a deaf and mute cowherd to the blue T-Shirt uniform in Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal. Of course, with oodles of talent as a fast bowler and the tremendous capacity to work hard, the audience didn't expect any less… It was almost as if they were cheering with every wicket he clinched and shedding tears at every drawback…But, once out of the cinema hall, the question still remains, that in real life, how many Iqbals actually make it big? Or how many have the finances to even try? We venture out to find some answers.
Cricketer Shekhar Bhor, who plays for a local team in Mumbai, had trained since childhood. "I was good, though not excellent, but in all the twenty years of playing cricket, I never made it to a league match or to the Ranji team. There was no way I could have supported my family of four just on my cricketing income," he says, acknowledging that his job is that of a bank clerk and the sport just remains a passion. He, however, does not lose heart, "I could not make a career of it, bit it has given me a lot in life. I do send my son for training too, however much it costs."
If that’s the condition of the sport that’s earned iconic status in the country, could other sports be feasible? "Well, I am a little happy that the other sports have come up though they are not yet at par with cricket," says football coach B George. He points out that there is no security as a footballer in the Indian scenario, as even if you do make it as a national player, which is a very remote chance, there isn’t much security.
"It's not only about job security then, but also about the affordability now," says Swati Bakul, whose son is a goalkeeper for his school team. "I know he's a good player, in fact better than most, but beyond a certain point, I just can’t afford it! says the middle-class mother of two. She ends up spending over Rs 5,000 (on a very conservative basis) every month on the training and equipment, and that too is never enough. "There's always something that's required, may be a new pair of studs (football shoes) or gloves or the football itself. And these wear out so often, it's difficult to fulfill all his needs," says Swati. Add to that the constant lurking feeling that this is not a serious career option, and it's quite exasperating, thinking that education expenses are still hanging over their heads for the next few years.
For karate champion Ankita Naval, the training was never a problem. Her parents are very supportive of her sport, which the class 10 kid has taken up since fourth grade. The problems arose only when she was chosen for an international tournament, as they were hardly affordable for an individual, and yet a parent's heart managed the finances some how. Last year, Ankita had participated in an international tournament at Holland, where her family needed about Rs 2.5 lakh for her and her sister to travel there. “We almost didn't send her, as there was no door we could knock at for a helping hand. Since Ankita was a champion here, she was offered a discount, but that too was to the tune of Rs 10,000," says Ankita’s sister Aakanksha Naval. According to her, in the long run, middle-class parents would much rather prefer to invest such a huge amount of money on a more secure career option, like the regular medicine or engineering. "I'm not speaking only out of disappointment, but also from the long-term point of view that even if my sister is excellent and gets selected, for other higher tournament, there’s no support from any official body in India," says Aakanksha.
However, there's still hope for those who are extremely passionate about their sport. Playing sports at the school or college level need no longer be a mere hobby but can actually open professional avenues. According to J S Naruka, Director, Sports Council, Delhi University, there are many technical jobs available to sportspeople today, which are lucrative and well paying.
"Taking up sports as a career does not only mean sweating it out in the playfield. One can join one of the many fitness centres that are opening in clubs and hotels as fitness experts and have a respectable job and a handsome pay package," he says.
Pursuing an additional post-graduate diploma in physical training can enable one to find expert jobs as physiotherapists, lecturers at a university and if one is lucky then a job in foreign country too. "These days there is a high demand for yoga instructors in foreign countries. One of my students, Bharat Thakur is a known yoga instructor abroad. In addition, all states have posts like sports secretary and sports director and one just needs to be a postgraduate to be eligible for these kind of vacancies," Naruka adds.
International MBA Degree For students MBA In International Business Jobs In MNC management trainee and a salary offered to a graduate in international business management from a reputed institute
Studying In New Zealand Polytechnics,Institutes of Technology & tertiary institutions which provide a wide range programmes including full degree and some post-graduate courses like Management programmes.Historically the Polytechnics have focused on vocational and practical education programmes preparing students for industry....
All About Scholarships Scholarship For study Abroad Financial Aid Scholarships Grants College grants Tution Scholarship College Scholarship Service aid or assistantship is available at the time of admission Tuition Waiver Research assistantship
bravenet.com