Why is India so bad at sports?

The Paris 2024 Paralympics are still a few days away. India, in particular, will be hoping to improve on its 71st place finish at the Games — below the likes of Dominica and North Korea. The outlook looks promising, as the country has already won more medals than ever before. The biggest highlight so far has been Paralympic shooter Avani Lekhara’s second consecutive gold medal.

However, whether it’s the Paralympics or the Olympics, India has been a disappointing performer on the global sports scene, given its demographic size. Since 1900, the country has won just 41 Olympic medals. Considering the odds—with 1 in 6 people in the world being Indian—the country’s recent performance is embarrassing. This year, it won just six medals at the Olympics.

Of course, athletic success depends on much more than just population size. For example, the United States sent more than five times the number of athletes as India to this year’s Olympics, despite having only a quarter of India’s population. In fact, Rory Green, chief China economist at TS Lombard, noted that GDP explained about 90 percent of the variation in medal counts at the Paris Games. But India is also the world’s fifth-largest economy. If the country has the population and the money, why is its athletic performance so poor?

Olympic success tends to increase with GDP, in part because GDP serves as a proxy for sports spending. “Capital-intensive sports—such as gymnastics, sailing, swimming, rowing, and diving—accounted for 28 percent of the medals up for grabs this year,” Green explains. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom are strong in many of these disciplines. “Economic development also means more leisure time and the creation of a sports culture.”

However, India’s economic growth has not translated into greater investment in sports or increased recreation. Spending on physical activities has never been a priority for successive governments. As a result, potential athletes face major obstacles in the form of lack of funding and access to facilities, coaches and equipment.

Poverty remains a challenge. India’s GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, is just over $10,000, according to the World Bank, putting it below nations like Iraq and Eswatini. Parents and teachers understandably encourage children to pursue higher-paying and more prestigious careers, such as doctors and engineers.

“Traditionally, professions that involve performing for others, such as domestic work, dance and sport, have often been associated with lower status,” says Dr Gurnam Singh, associate professor of sociology at the University of Warwick.

There is also a self-reinforcing dynamic here. The lack of national sporting role models (outside of cricket and chess) makes the risk of pursuing a sporting career seem unprofitable.

Social expectations to earn a degree, accumulate wealth and take care of a family mean that Indians spend less time on sports than in similar nations. Women face different pressures, such as the expectation of getting married and having children early, which hinders their sporting ambitions. Furthermore, cricket has become so dominant in India that few people turn to other sports.

There is reason for optimism, however. Indian officials are increasingly aware of the diplomatic power and economic opportunities that sports can bring. National sports budgets have increased in recent years, and programs such as “Khelo India” — launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 — aim to discover and develop young sports talent.

Companies are also keen to tap into India’s large and young sports goods and spectator markets. Last month, sports retailer Decathlon announced a €100 million investment in the country. Revenues from the sports industry — including media and sponsorship spending — have more than doubled since 2014.

India has also expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics. A bid could help elevate the country’s sporting status. Green notes that the increase in medal hauls for host countries has more to do with investment made ahead of the event than home-field advantage.

Turning around India’s athletic woes will take time and persistence. The country set a national record of fourth-place finishes at this year’s Olympics, but securing a place on the podium will require continued investment in training and preparation. Success on the global stage, coupled with continued support for the sport from Indian leaders, may be what it takes to change attitudes towards athletic careers.

Until then, India can at least celebrate cricket’s return to the Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 after a 128-year absence.