In 2007 when EducationWorld introduced India’s first ever school rankings league tables, sports education was accorded equal weightage with almost all 14 parameters of primary-secondary education excellence. This message has been absorbed by educationists and school managements and leaders, especially of India’s 5,000 (out of 1.5 million) most well-reputed schools rated and ranked in the EducationWorld India School Rankings. 

The outcome of greater attention to physical fitness and formal field games has paid off for India, hitherto a perpetual laggard in international athletics and sports arenas. But while test, one-day and T-20 cricket matches grab all media headlines, it’s also noteworthy that new Indian sportstars — hitherto dismissed as debilitated vegetarians — are winning gold medals in more physically strenuous and demanding track and field sports. Right now several Indian track stars are setting new records in the 86th Asian Athletics Championships being staged in Gumi, South Korea, but getting minimal coverage in the media where all eyes are on the Indian Premier League 2025 cricket tournament.

However, the performance of our track and field stars in the Asian Athletics Championships marks a great leap forward for Indian track and field sports. Because India’s tally of 24 medals (8 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze) is its highest ever in the championships, the first of which was staged in 1973. The top podium finishes of India’s best athletes — Gulveer Singh (10,000 & 5,000 metres run), Avinash Sable (3,000m steeple chase); Jyothi Yarraji (100m women’s hurdles); Parul Chaudhury (3,000m women’s steeplechase) Nandini Agasara (women’s heptathlon) and Pooja Singh (women’s high jump) are especially praiseworthy as they bested competitors from China, Japan and South Korea who bag way more medals than India in the Olympics. Ditto several of India’s badminton stars. They deserve greater prize money, sponsorship and rewards currently flowing into cricket, a game seriously played in less than ten countries.

Corporate leaders and marketing wizards pouring millions by way of sponsorships and advertising into cricket where their brand is one of a crowd, would be well-advised to invest in sponsorship and training of the country’s newly emerged athletics champions to get more bang for their buck.

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