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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 4
Publication Date: April 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/assrj.84.9897. Singh, J., Nanda, I. K., Chaturvedi, R., & Dhingra, S. (2021). Development and Challenges in Sports: A Case Study of the Indian Cricket.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(4). 48-52.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Development and Challenges in Sports: A Case Study of the Indian
Cricket
Jaswinder Singh
Principal, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College,University of Delhi, Delhi
Inderpreet Kaur Nanda
Assistant Professor, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi
Ravi Chaturvedi
Associate Professor (Retd.), Zakir Hussain College, University Of Delhi
Sanchita Dhingra
Assistant Professor, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, University of Delhi
ABSTRACT
Cricket is the most popular game at present not in only in India but also in the Indian
Subcontinent. The controversies and the ups and downs of the willow game have been
the subject of discussion by the cricket chroniclers and the lovers of the game in times
gone by. The present study aims at examining the level of motivation among players,
nature and role of cooperation from academic institutions such as the college or the
university, from the family, need for a different academic course structure for players
and fairness in the selection process. Using the information through a sample of 320
student cricketers, the role of the University of Delhi in nurturing the talent and
producing some outstanding cricketers of national and international levels has been
probed. Absence of trainers along with commensurate infrastructure seems to be the
bane in developing top cricketers in the Colleges and the Universities. Forced to give
major part of their time to the sport, it is tough for the sportspersons to focus on
academics. Continuous training and travel with consequent missed classes makes it
tough to secure good credits in class attendance and internal assessment which
results in adverse performance in semester examinations. The sports centric
curriculum and sufficient credit for performance in sports with adequate, flexible
teaching schedules, improved training and sports infrastructure in colleges and the
universities in India can only raise the standard of cricket and other sports.
Keywords: Teaching schedule, Sports infrastructure, internal assessment
INTRODUCTION
University education in India actively promotes physical activity and sports and values the
participation by students in improving the university ranking both nationally and
internationally. Historically, it is mainly the public funded colleges and the universities in higher
education in India that support development of sports infrastructure and individual sports
persons. Social, economic and demographic factors such as age, sex, income play a significant role
in determining the physical activity and participation in sports. National interest in promoting
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Singh, J., Nanda, I. K., Chaturvedi, R., & Dhingra, S. (2021). Development and Challenges in Sports: A Case Study of the Indian Cricket. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(4). 48-52.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.84.9897
sports extends beyond promotion of sports in terms of medals at the national and international
competitions to achieving larger societal goals such as reducing obesity, deterring crime and
promoting integration and social harmony. National sports policy is the need of the hour to
promote sports holistically at the education institutions, leading to develop sports culture. Sports
persons in the age group of twenty to twenty five years pursuing higher education in general
encounter many hurdles in achieving the twin objectives of acquiring graduate degree and
staying fit in individual centric sports like athletics or team games such as cricket or hockey.
Firstly, game specific coaching in the colleges for long term health and physical fitness training
in competitive sports is not available. Secondly, training with substandard sports goods and
equipment often proves counterproductive. Thirdly, non-availability of sports medicine and lack
of nutrition, sports psychologists at the formative stage results in sub optimal performance of the
players. Fourthly, higher education is linearly teacher focused and not student focused. Process
of learning is controlled by the teacher just as process of award of degree is controlled by the
university. Fifthly, contemporary teaching learning process in higher education is expensive both
in terms of time and money for sportspersons as their training and competitions schedules
overlap and clash with pre scheduled linear classroom requirements. Sixthly, even though some
sports students enter the higher education with preferential treatment of five percent quota for
sports and extracurricular activities in some universities, there is no provision in terms of
providing credits for awarding degree for their subsequent performance in sports. Cricket is the
most commonly followed sport not only in India but also in the major part of South Asia. The
Popularity of the game has left its metropolitan niche to make forays into smaller townships and
even into the rural areas. The mass following of the game, its history, close correlation with
environment, mystery and mythology, sociology, peace and international understanding compels
one to undertake a research work that is likely to unfold some interesting facets of this noble
game.
Objectives
There is a dearth of research exploring the role and contribution of University of Delhi and some
other universities in nurturing the talent and producing cricketers of national and international
levels who in addition to having established themselves as professional cricketers brought name
and fame to the university and the country.
PROCEDURE & METHODOLOGY
Research Methodology
A questionnaire was constructed in consultation with the investigator and other experts in the
field. The questionnaire was finalized by trial run method and 16 objective type questions were
framed to collect the views of players. For statistical analysis, the descriptive statistics were used
for discovering the current state of sports and unveil the various problems faced by players.
Collection and Administration of Data
The data was collected from a wide catchment area on total number of 275 subjects which were
selected randomly. The Survey method was used to collect the data which was compiled not only
from the students of the University of Delhi’s different colleges but also from the Jamia Milia
Islamia University, Delhi, four colleges (including girls), Gujarat University, Ahmedabad;
Amravati University, Maharashtra; Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh and
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 4, April-2021
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Chhatrapati Sahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The data includes cricketers both
boys and girls, from different strata of society and from both urban and rural areas.
RESULTS & DISSCUSSION
After analyzing the data, the major findings have been presented as follows:
Table 1. Cooperation from Institutions
RESPONSE GWALIOR DELHI CHHATTISGARH RANCHI AHMEDABAD
VERY GOOD 27.78% 28.8% 46.34% 26.98% 58.62%
GOOD 44.44% 36% 24.40% 14.29% 34.48%
AVERAGE 27.78% 28% 17.07% 34.92% 6.90%
POOR 0 4.8% 9.76% 22.22% 0
VERY POOR 0 2.4% 2.44% 1.59% 0
Cooperation in terms of sports equipment such as timely arrangement of playing kit, dress,
promptness in attending the sports injury and counseling enhances the field performance of
players. The current system with complete absence of sports scholarships is hurting higher
education both financially and academically. Therefore, cooperation from a player’s college or
institution in particular and from university in general is significant in optimizing a player’s
performance and contribution to game. Results in Table 1 indicate that this cooperation is found
to be highly commendable in regions of Ahmedabad, Chhattisgarh and Ranchi. But in colleges of
University of Delhi and Gwalior, poor response received from respondents is hurting the game at
large and performance in particular.
Table 2. Expectation of Academic Support from College & University
SUPPORT
VARIABLES
GWALIOR DELHI CHHATTISGARH RANCHI AHMEDABAD
Attendance 11.10% 31.81% 28.60% 28% 10.34%
Internal
Assessment
5.60% 11.33% 3.60% 4% 13.79%
Different Course
Structure
5% 15.91% 14.30% 6% 0
More than one 77.80% 40.91% 53.60% 62% 75.86%
Academic support from the college is studied by using three variables namely attendance,
different course structure and internal assessment. Results in Table 2 show most of the
respondents expect to receive the support from their respective college or university in all
support alternatives. A large percentage of respondents in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Ranchi expect
support in Attendance from their respective institutions. Players have also appreciated the idea
of a different sports-oriented course structure. In University of Delhi around 41 percent of the
student cricketers expect the colleges to accommodate them in terms of attendance and different
evaluation dates and different course structure as compared to 62 percent, 76 percent and 78
percent cricket players in universities of Ranchi, Ahmedabad and Gwalior.
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Singh, J., Nanda, I. K., Chaturvedi, R., & Dhingra, S. (2021). Development and Challenges in Sports: A Case Study of the Indian Cricket. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(4). 48-52.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.84.9897
Table 3. Participation in Open Tournament conducted by their College and University
RESPONSE GWALIOR DELHI CHHATTISGARH RANCHI AHMEDABAD
YES 94.40% 84.30% 75.61% 67% 86.21%
NO 5.60% 15.70% 24.39% 33% 13.79%
The results of table 3 show that most of the respondents were referred by their college or
university to participate in open tournaments conducted either by their college, university or any
other institution. Results confirm that consistently throughout the cricket playing universities,
students are exposed to open tournaments and competitions which significantly improve the
confidence of the players. Universities and colleges in Gwalior, Ahmedabad and Delhi appear to
be organizing these tournaments more than the other Universities. Student cricketers were also
of the opinion that the longer version of the game such as three day or five day matches proves
more useful in skill enhancement of the game as compared to limited over matches.
Table 4.Formal Training from Coaches
RESPONSE GWALIOR DELHI CHHATTISGARH RANCHI AHMEDABAD
YES 38.89% 81.30% 63.41% 35.48% 68.97%
NO 61.11% 18.70% 36.59% 64.52% 31.03%
Sport coaches provide the necessary training for a specific game and also impart the necessary
skills required in that game. Formal training from coaches is necessary no matter how talented a
player is to hone his skills further. We found a mixed response from the respondents of various
regions. While around 81% of the respondents in Delhi have received formal training, only
around 35% of the respondents in Ranchi and only around 39% of the respondents in Gwalior
have received formal training. More than two third of the cricket playing students in Gwalior and
Ranchi appear to have not undergone any intensive training. This explains the lack of sports
infrastructure and training facilities in the University system.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The most significant outcome of the investigation is that despite cricket being the most
popular sport, the cricketers are lamenting the lack of suitable infrastructure, both
personnel and material, in developing top cricketers in the Colleges and the Universities.
2. The data gathered points out that there is an urgent need to strengthen the present
composition of the level of competition both at Inter-College and the inter-University level
by adopting longer version of the format rather the present shorter version of the game.
It is widely accepted that the longer format of the game helps the budding cricketer evolve
basic skills of the game. These basic skills are later sharpened and nurtured by coaches
when these cricketers climb up the ladder.
3. It was concluded that availability of technical expert like sports psychologists,
physiotherapists, nutritionists and coaches in university and in college helps the players
to enhance the performance.
4. The campus placements and other employment avenues should be available so that the
players can grow in career and sports simultaneously.
5. The indifference of college/University administration towards their internal assessment
and attendance is a major drawback in churning out top cricketers. The present system
does not allow any flexibility in terms of time and place for academic assessment for