38th National Games: Sangram Singh Urges Grassroots Development For India’s Sports Future

38th National Games: Sangram Singh urges grassroots development for India’s sports future (Image Source: IANS)

Mixed Martial Arts: Indian wrestler-turned MMA fighter Sangram Singh has taken on a new role as a mentor at the 38th National Games in Dehradun. As a mentor, he is guiding more than 10,000 young athletes through motivational sessions, sharing his journey, and offering insights on achieving greatness in sports and life.

Speaking about his involvement, Sangram reflected on his own experience at the 2002 National Games, when he was just 18 years old. Now, 21 years later, he has returned — not as a competitor, but as a mentor, ready to shape the next generation of champions.

Sangram’s motivational session was centred around the theme "Champion mindset: Elevate from good to great". He believes that success in sports is not just about winning medals but about perseverance, positivity, and continuous self-improvement. “A champion is not just the one who wins medals or trophies. A champion is also the one who keeps trying and stays positive — whether in sports or life,” Sangram Singh told IANS.

He emphasised that no medal, award, or degree can determine an athlete’s future — only hard work and dedication can. “Out of 10,000 athletes competing, only 300 will win medals. That doesn’t mean the rest are failures. Every athlete is a champion in their own way.”

Sangram highlighted the need for better grassroots development in Indian sports. He pointed out that while India has invested heavily in sports infrastructure, much of the real talent still comes from villages where children don’t even know about professional training centres like the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

“Half of India's sporting talent is lost in villages because they don’t know where to go. Many promising athletes give up due to a lack of direction. The real work needs to be done at the basic level.”

He stressed that India’s dream of hosting the Olympics in 2036 can only be successful if today's young athletes are given the right environment and support to thrive.

A strong advocate for discipline and dedication, Sangram warned young athletes about the negative effects of social media and distractions. “Social media can be useful, but it also takes young athletes away from the field. They spend more time on their phones than training. I tell them to ‘fast for gadgets’ instead of food—if you stay away from distractions, you will go ahead in life.”

Speaking about the state of sports administration in India, Sangram emphasised that sports federations need more intelligent and experienced sports professionals, not politicians. “In Russia, Olympic champions train under coaches who have only won state-level medals. Why? Because they focus on the athlete’s growth, not politics. In India, we need the right people in charge, not just politicians or businessmen.”

He also stated that athletes should stay away from politics until their career is over and instead focus on grooming the next generation. “A player should not join politics while still competing. Their main focus should be training future champions. Once you get involved in politics, you lose focus on the real goal—developing Indian sports.”

Sangram Singh is determined to continue mentoring young athletes, helping them not only with technical skills but also with mental and emotional strength. He believes India has the potential to become a sports superpower, but the right steps need to be taken at the grassroots level.

Interestingly, he also revealed that he is planning a return to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) despite being in his 40s. He is set to make his professional MMA comeback in February 2025. The highly anticipated bout will take place in the United States, marking his return to the sport following his historic victory in MMA.

Singh made history as the first Indian male wrestler to win his MMA debut when he secured a victory against Pakistani fighter Ali Raza Nasir. With an impressive background as a former Commonwealth heavyweight wrestling champion, Singh’s return to MMA is expected to generate significant excitement.

Interestingly, he also revealed that he is planning a return to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) despite being in his 40s. He is set to make his professional MMA comeback in February 2025. The highly anticipated bout will take place in the United States, marking his return to the sport following his historic victory in MMA.

Article Source: IANS