Gagan Narang highlights 3 Ps for Telangana’s successful sports policy

Gagan Narang and Anju Bobby George emphasized the importance of Policy, Programme, and Performance in Telangana’s new sports policy, advocating for grassroots development, infrastructure, and specialized coaching to nurture talent

Hyderabad: London Olympics bronze medalist Gagan Narang came up with a ‘mantra’ of three Ps – Policy, Programme, and Performance – which should be the key to the successful implementation of the new Sports Policy of the Telangana State Government.

Speaking at the panel discussion with well-known commentator Charu Sharma as the moderator, Gagan felt that the old buzzword was the other ‘PPP’: Public-Private Partnership.

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“Yes, with this policy, we believe that Telangana can be the first state in the country to give a new definition of the new concept of the three Ps,” he said.

“We should have the right kind of people at the right time for any policy to be successful,” Gagan said.

“I believe that even if we utilize 60 percent of the existing sports infrastructure, there would be stunning results. It is also imperative that some disciplines like athletics, gymnastics, and swimming, which don’t require massive infrastructure, should be promoted in a big way,” he said.

“Some of the latest success stories of Indian sport clearly suggest that champions are coming from lesser-known cities and towns. So, there has to be a proper ecosystem to support talent at the grassroots,” he said.

For her part, World Championship bronze medalist and star athlete Anju Bobby George said that what was badly required was minimum infrastructure, like a level playing field across the states, with emphasis on rural areas. “The kids should get hooked on sports in schools and colleges,” she said.

Reflecting on coaches, Anju George said that coaches were needed to identify young talent, but after a certain stage, there would be a need for specialized coaches to keep improving and compete with the best, recalling her own experience when she trained abroad before winning the World’s bronze.

The state government has signed an MoU with Gun for Glory, founded by Gagan Narang, as part of its efforts to promote sports in a big way.