Enough of this retarded BS already, that is repeated ad nauseam by delusional drones. What is considered ” middle class” in India is considered impoverished by global standards.

We can’t still play the extreme poverty card, India’s middle class is larger than the population of the United States. Surely some of India’s little ones can dream of being athletes in sports other than Cricket

Extreme poverty, genetics, culture are the reasons why indian subcontinentals are so pathetic when it comes to sports.

It was part of China’s developement plan during the 90′s to create industries/jobs. For instance, China made deals with the NBA, MLB etc to promote sports in China which in turn would create more jobs for the population (manufacturing and buying sporting equipment, building stadiums, media etc like in the USA … obviously Yao Ming and some other Chinese basketball players are byproducts of that era.)

After the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government was able to get funding from all sorts of companies to build public volleyball courts, basketball courts, running tracks, etc. throughout China …. even the NFL got involve although I doubt it would be popular in China. They also got commitment from various sports manufacturers to promote sports and training throughout China.

It’s pretty smart in my opinion. China has to create as many jobs and industries as possible.

When it comes to structural support, the administrators (read as politicians and bureaucrats) are nothing but cheap 10-cent whores trying to squeeze money out of the system rather than showing real leadership. As one person pointed out earlier, India is neither economically well-off or has the infrastructure like communist countries by investing in training, facilities and long-term financial stability for people pursuing sports. Instead, we rely on hollow messages of “Mera Bharat Mahaan” without tangible support or results!

The best bet we have for budding sportsman/sportswoman is to become Ticket inspectors in Railways to pursue their passion. When the rest of the world has infrastructure setup for Training, medical staff and facilities to spend 8 – 10 hrs per day, our athletes have to work part-time on loaned equipment with no facilities. Guys like Shiva Kesavan have to contend with getting medical treatment from opposing teams.

As Indians we should be ashamed of this plight. We take pride in knowing a progeny of some Indian politician or bureaucrat. I am guilty of this charge as well! Instead, the next time we meet somebody who is a daughter/son/grandson/granddaughter of a politician, we should be asking them to be ashamed for the leadership of their Parent/grandparent. Ask them what tangible changes have they made to the betterment of the nation?

It’s something that should make the authorities worried, especially since obesity is rampant in India.

What are you talking about? Malnutrition is a much bigger problem in the Indian subcontinent than obesity.