25 May,2026 09:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Lindsay Pereira
It’s astounding that people outside India focus on non-issues such as financial irregularities, unhygienic conditions, or severe pollution, when it comes to criticising India. File pic
I have been reading a lot of news reports about problems associated with the football World Cup this year. I go through them with increasing dismay, for multiple reasons. The past few weeks alone have seen a flurry of opinion pieces denouncing everything from the exorbitant price of tickets to the possibility of foreign players being denied entry into the United States for that country's usual reasons - worshipping the wrong religion or being the wrong colour. There have also been warnings about match broadcasts and whether anyone in India will be able to watch the matches if streaming rights can't be secured in time.
It all feels like a wasted opportunity to me because we shouldn't have had to worry about this event at all. The World Cup should simply have been held in India.
This has been a recurring complaint of mine, given the noise that inadvertently surrounds any major sporting event year after year. No matter what the sport is, there's always a reminder that it could have been managed a lot better in the right hands. I fail to understand how a country that can host a series of fabulous music performances without a hiccup - recent concerts by Guns N Roses and U2 come to mind - still cannot be seen as a serious contender for hosting the Olympics. It feels as if the world isn't paying attention, or the Indian government isn't promoting these accomplishments hard enough.
I am aware that there are critics who believe India can never be taken seriously when it comes to sports because of the country's medal tally. To these naysayers, I would suggest looking beyond accolades to focus on infrastructure and sheer organisational ability. Being mediocre at sports is not the same as being unqualified to manage a sporting event. I would be surprised to find anyone who has attended an event in India accusing us of being poor managers. Everything goes off smoothly here: there is adequate food and drink, hygiene standards are world-class, and female foreign tourists routinely comment on how safe they feel when surrounded by Indian men. Most other countries can't take these things for granted.
What I will admit to is the need for minor changes when it comes to how India looks at sport. I believe it's more of a public relations problem than anything else, because we aren't showing as much enthusiasm as some countries do. Consider India's annual sports budget, which is around 1 per cent of what China spends on its athletes, and it's easy to see why we have to do a bit of course correction on that front. I propose spending a little less on other, less-important things, if only for a short while. Imagine diverting funds from pod taxis towards the development of public playgrounds instead. It could send the right kind of message about how this is a country that cares about giving children space to run and play, which is something it hasn't done in a long time.
The government may also have to address a few other concerns, such as the relationship between undernourishment and the ability of most Indians to perform in a sporting arena, although I can see how this has little to do with hosting a World Cup. We should be focused on showcasing India's rise as an economic powerhouse, not winning medals at these events, but it can be argued that even a bronze or two may make this public relations campaign a lot stronger.
Another reason why I believe it is India's time to shine is that it has now been a quarter of a century since the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was established. These 25 years may not have seen successes in terms of sporting glory, but we have new stadiums named after the Prime Minister, which ought to count for something.
It's unfortunate that people outside India focus on non-issues such as financial irregularities, unhygienic conditions, or severe pollution, when it comes to criticising India. I believe the only way to counter this negativity is to keep advertising our rising status as a superpower and insist on being taken seriously as a potential Olympic or World Cup host.
I hope the honourable Prime Minister will make this one of his many priorities in the coming months, and travel more to promote India as a premier sporting destination. I can't think of a more qualified nation to host any event that involves coordination, quality, and large sums of money.
When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He can be contacted at www.lindsaypereira.com
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