Face to face with an ace sportsman Dr. Satwant Kumar

Gifted with the inheritance of an Olympian sportsman father, Sri Randhawa Singh, Dr. Satyant Kumar too harbours the big dream of reaching the Olympian heights of excellence in the field of education, sports studies – theory and practice, and lifestyle research for health and fitness. As an Asstt. Professor and HoD of Physical Education and Sports at Kumari Mayawati Govt. Postgraduate College, Badalpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, he has excelled in teaching, research and administration, with outstanding expertise in the field of sports education and training. Holding a doctoral degree in the specialized subject of ‘Sports Bio-Mechanics’ from the prestigious LNIPE, Gwalior, Dr Satyant Kumar has authored books like ” Impact Factors of Javelin Throwers” and “Yoga Karma”, both of which reveal his wide-ranging scholarship, his ability to reach the utmost limits of intellectual horizons and his powerful profundity of knowledge. His latest book on “Obesity” is going to be a landmark in terms of its comprehensive coverage of the subject and conferment of immense health benefits on its readers.

With his two decades of teaching experience, research activity, participation in national and International seminars and his endless thirst for knowledge, Dr Satyant Kumar can be described as an ultramodern bookworm with his penchant for reading and writing books on a diversity of subjects.He is fitness expert of quality council of India , editor of AICPE Human kinetic journal and president of international council of AYUSH. He is a role-model for all those who wish to excel in the field of Physical Education, Sports Studies Ayush segment, Training and Lifestyle Research. Let’s read about his trials, successes and his take on CSR.

1. Gifted with the inheritance of an Olympian sportsman father, Sri Randhawa Singh, did you decide to become a sportsman since childhood ?

I did not decide to become a sportsman since childhood. It’s all because of the environment I, got at Border Security force, Tekanpur campus Gwalior. There we got the exposure of each and every sport, at free of cost, we got the guidance, coaching and sometime aspiring speech, motivational talk about father, and the respect from the audience and society, B.S.F environment always promote good sportsmanship sports

• Sports Platforms are very near to my home.
• Getting opportunity to meet with legendary figure in the sports.
• Paramilitary force always promotes the fitness among the soldiers we got inspired from there, as well because of genetic D.N.A.

2. How difficult was your journey to become a sportsman of repute?

I cannot say it was difficult but I would say that It was hard, adventurous and recreational in nature. Even I can say unpredictable that’s because a son who lost his father at the age of two years. It was very difficult to survive along with the two brothers and one supporter that was my mother. Now you can easily understand how hard was the childhood, adolescence, and young and married life too.

But mother who was divine in spirit gave us all types of exposure, academic as well sports, cultural, social and extra-curricular. B.S.F people gives all out support to we people because father represented. B.S.F at various international level contest. He was hero of that time people admire and memorize him that time, people gives us the good feedback of his good work.It inspire us to do same things in the life even in the absence of him.

3. Since you have authored many books like e ” Impact Factors of Javelin Throwers” and “Yoga Karma”, what is you viewpoint on state of sports in India?

I have written four books in the field of health, fitness and sports, even publishing All India Council of Physical Education human kinetics journal as an editor according to any perception. My viewpoint on state of sports in India, it is in infancy stage. In India sports traditionally is never accepted as competition, we Indians always promote recreational sports, like chess, wrestling, kabaddi, kho-kho, just for the sack of recreation not for the sack of competition. The concept of physical education and sports accepted by Indian society in 1980’s after Asian games, but no policy and less steps were taken by the government towards the promotion of sports and physical education. More influential people capture the higher post in federation and authorities, those who don’t know the basics of the sports and games, they run the show on the basis of influence. Sports is not commercialized in nature in india.

At lower level sports infected by drugs, alcohol and social ill-disorders like show off, overconfidence, complexities in nature, underestimating the ground level reality, suffer from the injury. Even till now physical education and sports subject was not getting proper due recognition, never considered as a subject for civil services. There are number of so many things which can influence the sports and physical education, we have to see the things in totality and at global contest, we are at the infancy stage. It takes a long time to reach up to the desirable standards. The way we are moving with the vision, mission and application. People of India adopt sports just for recreation purpose not for competitive and fitness aspects, because majority of the people believe in the yogic/ spiritual or therapeutic aspects of exercise, Indian people are spiritual in nature from long back, they were never good warriors, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan facesd maximum attack from the foreign warriors, that’s why they are more strong, high in endurance, speedy and fit in nature as comparison to other area of India. No proper scheme for talent identification at root level, government have some schemes but that is not disclosed, declared and made aware at root level. Job prospects are high in nature in sports and physical education but respect is less and misconceptions are more about players and sports.

4. What is the one advice you would like to give to the young sports aspirants in India?

A single man perception or advice, given to the young sports aspirants in India never fulfills the aim because it is very difficult to achieve the goal in prescribed time, condition, environment and sub stranded sports assets. So with multiple philosophies and multiple suggestions we can achieve our goal in life, in the prescribed time frame. Health is wealth, no other aspect of life is so important to us to ignore or undermine the health and fitness. Give due time, respect the sports, donate money in sports, put extra efforts, recognize the health aspect of the life. Nation first mission is to set the health and fitness of all the citizens at any cost and effort. If you prolonged your youth , it means you are contributing to the nation. Promote women health/ fitness to promote youthfulness in different segment of health, fitness and sports.

Devote more time on physical exertions instead of spending time in exploring things on media.

Motivate, inspire as well as give some negative motivation to them.

5. What efforts are the government taking towards promoting sports and aided sports academy in India?

Our Government of India played a very important role in promoting, developing and enriching sports, its infrastructure and policies in our country. The Government and its organizations constitute the Public Sector of the sports industry which is responsible for making sports policies, approving funds for developing infrastructure, and enriching the talent of people in various sectors of sports. According to me, government is performing a very significant task in providing participation opportunities to the children from even before their initial age when they could take proper decision so as to make them more trained and develop the sports sector of India. The government had also introduced an organization PYKKA (Panchayat Yuva Krida our Khel Abhiyan) for introducing the sports to the root level of our civilization that was villages. It was setup to ensure that all the youth in the villages get a proper chance in taking part in sports. The government had also approved 1500 INR crore for the eleventh five-year plan of India.

• Government made physical education and sports as a compulsory subject at school and university level.
• Government promotes AYUSH segments under which it is promoting Ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopathy for promoting health aspects.
• For promoting sports and health in India the government launched “Khelo India” scheme.
• Government provided subsidies, scholar ships, free training and jobs.
• Government introduced various awards for promoting health and sports sector.
• Even government made the Olympian minister of ministry of youth and sports affairs so that he can treat the sports in right direction.
• Government conducts and organized various contest, expo, conferences, publishing and broadcasting health and sports article.
• Government opened up state sports universities which are headed by sports person.  

6. How do you interpret the importance of csr initiatives in India?

The CSR took many initiatives in order to make sports more implementable.

First they laid some guidelines, norms or rules for the education system to make sports more implementable. They said that the sports should not be taken for recreation, it should be made compulsory in the school routine such as the main subjects that is science, math, social science etc. According to CSR if the children would perform physical activities, they would even enjoy it, they would learn various kind of life Skills, they will develop the physical, intellectual, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and ethical aspect of wellbeing.

Second thing they wanted to bring about a change in the playing facility such as sports fields, equipment and even also the sports gear. They wanted that people would start playing or participating in sports even when there are no playing facilities, gradually they would start gearing their interest in sports and they would eventually improve in health and sports sectors.

The last but not the least was the capital investment in sports. Without capital the measures mentioned before could not be fulfilled. CRS did the best it could do, it also invested a lot of capital that could be required for the initiative.

The fourth thing is that CSR provided platforms for conferences, seminars, symposiums, expo,contest, panel discussion and also provided platform for sponsorship in sports allotment.

The fifth thing was that it provided various job opportunities at public sector for sports and health lovers. CSR did its best in the field of health and sports sectors. Just because of their efforts we as Indians are rocking in Asian games.

7. According to Csr act do you believe that the corporates are abiding by the nuances of the act?

According to me what CSR did wasn’t a nuance but yes I would say that due to some reasons it could not be established. Due to some factors it wasn’t successful in its main motive.

First thing was that it didn’t had a general agreement with other agencies due to which their works were copied by others. This led to a rise in spirit of competition rather than the spirit of doing for which  they took those initiatives .Also, the main reason was that they did the best from their side but there was no as such response from people.

The second main reason was that though there has been a great increase in the social activities which was experienced by the companies, therefore there was a lot of money spent mostly to set up the priorities of the company rather than setting up of the democratically firm significances. If they would have concentrated in the aforementioned matter I don’t believe that there would be any discrepancy in what they wanted to do.

8. According to you can the CSR act be used to promote sports in India? If yes how?

Yes, according to me corporates can be used to promote sports in India because it had the same motive they had earlier and that was to improve the sports and health segment in India. Also, the reason behind that made me think that CSR would be successful in its motive was that they wanted to improve the platform of sports and physical education. I liked their idea of trying to make sports as an essential aspect in all the educative systems. To fulfill this, they want to provide education regarding sports from the root level and even in the initial age when children are studying in school in the form of main subject. Also they had raised some queries and also given some solutions regarding the matter so that people could gain more interest in physical education and sports. Now the main thing that influenced me regarding this thought is that they had invested a lot in it and for sure if they wouldn’t have faced those allegations they could have changed the sports system in each and every education system of India which could make them more responsible. According to me Corporates is doing the same significant work as done by our government

9. Can you share your words of wisdom for Jnicsr and it’s founder chairman Mr. Nikhil Bhai Kumar Sarojaz?

The words of wisdom I suppose to share with JNICSR and its founder Mr. Nikhil ji are as follows

• You should promote sports and physical education because it is the only key to the health of the people that would support them lifelong
• You can also provide a broader platform to encourage and help the people who actually want to take up part in sports.
• You can also encourage corporates including all its members and its founder
• You can develop awareness in the society
• You can clear all the misconception, talks regarding sports and physical education because this kinds of talks keep them bounded. You can even elevate the scope and the importance of sports and physical education.
• You can act as a mediating channel between corporates and institutions so that the grant of success goes to the person who actual works.
• Even JNICSR can become the voice of people, in other words you can raise a topic on behalf of other people because there are many people in the society who actually want to take up sports but can’t get a platform to express their ideas, vision, mission and thoughts so that they could reach the route level of the society.