ABDUL KALAM'S BHARAT ZERO AT OLYMPICS BY DESIGN

Date: 7/28/2004

Comment

Prof. Bharat J. Gajjar 614 Loveville Road Building D-1F Hockessin, DE 19707

To The Editor

Please Print the Following Letter in Your Publication

Indian Athletes at the Olympics

The 2004 the Olympics are only 2 months away. One Billion people in India have not received a single Olympic Medal for up to 72 years of participation in the Olympics. I'm sure many people are poor and India's infrastructure is missing. Of the Rs 133 core spent on the Afro-Asian Games, only Rs 33 crore went into developing infrastructure while Rs 20 crore was spent on ceremonies.

There are many people in India who are well off and our children are smart and healthy, but most of the Indian schools do not have a playground in the cities for children to play. I am from Ahmedabad Gujarat and there aren't any playgrounds there for children to play in the city. There are many cities like this with no playgrounds. Indian Olympic Officials should stop throwing money around for having an excess number of Officials when the money could be used in providing playgrounds and training for children at the grass root.

When America wanted to build a good soccer team 20 years ago, they started soccer officially in every school in the 1st grade. And now they have a strong soccer team with all of the young boys and girls. India should stop talking and start providing facilities for children to play.

I was lucky that my school had a playground. It even had a basketball place but nobody even knew what to do with it or played any games with it because the teachers did not know any games. The teachers never played a game in their life, they have no consciousness of the sport and physical activity.

Every school must have some playground and somewhere someone should be teaching some sports. Don't blame our children. Blame our society who is blind about physical activities.

Many people in India play kabbadi and do Hatha Yoga. India should ask the Olympic Committee to include these two things in the Olympic games. The Indian Government should not be shy or lazy about that. Tell them to include these things.

I hope one of our Indian Athletes can bring home an Olympic Gold Medal. It is my hope and prayer.

Prof. Bharat J. Gajjar

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IS THERE A MINISTER OF SPORTS, HEALTH OR PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE WHOLE OF INDIA? HANG HIM/HER BESIDES THE BOFORS CHOR!!

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