Are Leagues in India Helping Sports Development?

As the world turns its attention towards the sports rise of India, there is a much-needed debate going on whether the advent of multimillion dollar sports leagues is actually benefitting the cause of sports development. The star-studded IPL (Indian Premier League) has inspired the introduction of a whole new array of sports leagues seeking to gain from India’s rise as a multi-sport viewing nation. To give impetus to our national sport, Hockey India League was started in 2013. In the same year, Indian Badminton league was launched giving local players a chance to play alongside their international counterparts. Similarly, in 2014, it was the turn of football and Kabbadi, in the form of Indian Super League (ISL) and Pro Kabbadi League respectively. IPL has proved to be a sort of revelation for several Indian players, to play and perform with the best in the business. Many of these IPL debut players have now made inroads to the national cricket team. If we see into football, since the ISL started, the Indian men’s national team has gone from 170th to 100th in World Rankings. In terms of attendance and fan-following on social media, the ISL has shown considerable progress over the previous seasons. One can grasp that football is creating a lot more interest in India. Talking about the Indian Badminton League players, both P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal picked up the women’s singles silver and gold medals respectively in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games. There is interest for other sports events as well where the number of young children who play and follow sports has grown. According to a study named ‘Awareness and Consumption of Sports Leagues in India’, in 2017, the awareness of IPL was the highest at 88%. Pro Kabaddi League followed at 67%, Hockey India League at 46%, the ISL at 35% and the Premier Badminton League at 27%. Behind the gradual but steady success, there has been a positive shift in the societal behavior as well. Sports are now considered as a viable career option by them. Brands are following the audiences who are moving in to watch these new sports leagues. Having said that, there is still a lot of work to be done especially at the grassroots levels. As part of indigenous programs, almost all the sports league teams have their own training academies. They tap in newer talents from the far-flung areas and nurture their game further. In the end, I am convinced that leagues in India are helping in growth of sports in India. Share your opinions in the comments section.