What India can learn from Japan’s community sports model

Sports is much about role models. Not only about talented athletes wanting to be like their heroes, but also about learning and enhancing a knowledge base from other countries. Japan is one such from which India can learn a lot in terms of developing an impactful sports ecosystem.

So, what makes Japan - only behind the US and China in its medal haul at the 2024 Paris Olympics - a sporting powerhouse? It has a robust community sports development ecosystem. Promotion of sports activities and creation of infrastructure are managed by local, municipal or district authorities. Each municipal council has its own budget derived from local levies and budgetary allocation by MEXT (ministry of education, culture, sports, science & technology). The municipal ecosystem is funded by local levies, MEXT allocations and corporate sponsorships.

Japan Sports Agency, which works under MEXT, runs programmes like 'comprehensive community sports clubs' and 'subsidies for local government sports activities'. These are worth emulating for promoting sports at community level. Municipal authorities, in association with sports associations, hold regular sports promotional activities.


While India has municipal bodies, their role in sports activities is minimal. Currently, municipal councils focus on parks and maintenance. Many have begun installing public gyms. They can utilise funds under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) or Smart Cities Mission to create community-level sports facilities. These initiatives will provide infrastructure to urban communities as space for playgrounds shrinks. Similar programmes can be implemented for rural areas at the panchayat level.

The men's 2024 Paris Paralympics gold medal-winning goalball team - goalball being a ball sport designed specifically for athletes with vision impairment - was present at one of the community sports promotional events organised by municipal authorities of the Tokyo suburban district of Shinjuku in association with Goalball Federation of Japan. Local school and college-going youngsters, along with their parents, took active part. Participation of paralympians turned the event into a major goalball promotional programme.

In India, we have no shortage of sporting idols. We are among the top nations in para sports, many of our athletes being world champions. The question is whether we have impactful community development programmes where sporting stars can give back to society. GoI's Fit India Mission is gathering steam. But community initiatives, with help of sports federations and administration, can inject a huge dose of sporting awareness among youngsters.

Under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, sports development falls under the purview of state governments. Accordingly, states are invested in multiple sports development programmes ranging from talent development, sports schools and creation of sports infrastructure. Programmes like Karnataka's Amrita Krida Dattu Yojana, which provides ₹10 lakh to 75 athletes, Haryana's prize money scheme, and similar initiatives in other states need further recalibration. States need to focus more on community and grassroots sports development.

Support for elite athletes is reasonably funded by GoI through Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and support to national federations. Also, NGOs and private organisations actively fund top athletes. Accordingly, states can now shift their focus from an elite-centric approach towards promoting sports to community incentive models, building infra and facilitating regular activities.

If India has to become a successful sporting nation, states must play a key role in adopting and implementing best practices. If states work in tandem with Khelo India schemes, and populate state training centres by identifying talented youngsters through community development schemes, results are bound to show. A pyramidal model supporting sportspersons from grassroots to elite level is the way to go if Mission 2047 has to be   achieved.

The writer is deputy director, Sports Authority of India.