No matter who you are, if you perform the best, there is a chance for you: S Sreesanth
The representation of Kerala athletes in Indian sports is one of the most heated debates in the country. Is it a political agenda or a lack of development in Kerala sports? Famous Malayali athletes who donned the national colour shared their thoughts on 'Kaliyil Malayali Akatho Puratho?' (Is Malayali in or out of sports?) discussion at MBIFL’24 venue on Sunday.
MP Surendran, the session moderator, gave a historical mapping of sports and its developments through the years. Even in the past, Kerala produced talents such as P T Usha and I M Vijayan, who became icons of Indian sports. However, the lack of facilities and opportunities affected their careers. Training and technology play a significant role in developing talents and their performance in this modern age. He shared his experiences of visiting the training facilities of Netherlands' Ajax FC, which used genetic mapping, food intake, and amount of sleep to provide professional training to athletes. But sadly, in the Indian context, those are still unimaginable ideas.
Jo Paul Ancheri, former Indian football team captain, expressed his thoughts on opportunities in sports. Training and playing matches are vital in every sport. There should be opportunities for young athletes to be a part of. In the past, they had no practice matches and straight got into competitions. He says that sports are gradually developing because new facilities are being introduced, and leagues such as ISL are helping raise the game's standards.
S Sreesanth, a multiple-time World Cup winner with the Indian cricket team, shared his experiences on his path to the international stage and controversies regarding his expulsion from the team. In 2013, he was banned from cricket, and due to his constant efforts and fight with the BCCI, his ban was lifted in 2019. But it was too late for him. Sreesanth's story of resilience and confidence needs to be appreciated. Talking about the consistency of Malayali players, he says that players like Sanju Samson, Vishnu Vinod, Basil Thampi, etc.. are close to getting into the national team but should perform better. Academies will play a significant role in nurturing young talents into excelling players, like the MRF foundation in his case. He said everyone could join the team, but their performances should be at the top.
Geethu Anna Jose shared her ideas on basketball and the current scenario in Kerala. She says that a collective approach is required to nurture basketball. The former Indian basketball captain noted a lack of international exposure to the players. It will affect the development of the players, and even if they get qualified for an international tournament, they won't survive. She played in the Australian Women's Pro Basketball League and WNBA in America and shared her experiences of becoming a better player. The training facilities and approaches need development, and leagues should be established for more players to know about the standard of competition.
Kishore Kumar, coach of Calicut Heroes in the Prime Volleyball League, sarcastically mentioned the problems of talent development associated with the lifestyle in Kerala. The youth are becoming lazy, which will affect sports development. The previous generations had a strong will and passion towards the game, which is evidently declining. Sports play a significant role in tackling lifestyle problems, and the nutrition of the youth needs to be taken seriously. He addressed the disappearance of playgrounds due to the lack of players to engage in sports. This generation is too focused on academics and needs to pay more attention to the future of sports. The mindset of the youth and the elderly needs to change to develop sports in Kerala.
Geethu and Sreesanth announced their plans to establish a legends coaching academy for basketball and cricket talents in Kerala to tackle the problem of grassroots development and competitive exposure.