Dear
Today is National Sports Day and I couldn’t have been prouder to celebrate this day. Indian athletes’ exemplary performance in the Olympics and, thereafter, the Commonwealth games has rejuvenated our spirits. It gives me so much pleasure to see India emerging as a sporting nation and continuously improving in international sporting events. Kudos to the government for recognising the sports persons’ efforts and enhancing the funding.
Some of India’s sporting performances highlights have been the Indian contingent’s performance in Birmingham 2022, where India won 61 Medals (22 Gold, 16 Silver and 23 Bronze). India has done incredibly well to get over 60 medals and finish 4th in the final medal standing. This outstanding performance has raised all Indians’ hopes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
As a woman, I feel proud of the accomplishments of some of the women athletes of India, such as the iconic P T Usha, followed by young athletes such as Sania Mirza, Mary Kom, Mithali Raj, Saina Nehwal, P V Sandhu and Mira Bai Chanu. I am also amazed, just like the entire world, at the performance of the young fourteen-year-old Anahat Singh, who took on some of the best squash players in the world. All their performances bring hope, inspiration and encouragement to the aspiring athletes of India.
A facet that requires attention is that Sports is a science. It needs to be studied, and it is only through dedicated efforts of athletes and other stakeholders that India has been able to show such remarkable results. Sports has become an advantageous career option; therefore, at Symbiosis International University, we have dedicated our Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences to studying and disseminating knowledge about sports. We have undergraduate and graduate courses in Sports Management with specializations in Event Management in Sports, Technology in Sports and Sports Marketing. In addition, we have MBA programmes in Sports and BSc in Sports and Exercise Sciences. In fact, with India’s success, Sports Management will also gain more importance, and therefore more students should look at it as a career option.
As a health-promoting university at Symbiosis, we acknowledge that sports and games are essential components of human resource development. Not only do they help to promote good health but also bring in comradeship and a spirit of healthy competition among the youth. Therefore, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) established its University Sports Board in 2010 and the Department of Sports, Recreation & Wellness was established in 2019.
The DSRW is mainly responsible for the development of sports infrastructure, participation in sports at the grass-root level, fitness testing for staff and students, and excelling at National Sports Tournaments. Our emphasis is on Physical Literacy for our students, faculty and staff for lifelong improvement in their quality of life. The Department provides access to state-of-the-art playfields and gymnasiums at all campuses, fitness and wellness programs, multiple group classes, sports competitions and counselling.
On this National Sports Day, let us vow to participate and contribute actively to the Fit India Movement. We can create a healthy nation by making sports a part of our lives. Our youth are our true wealth, and by teaching love for sports among them, we can add to our country’s prosperity.