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Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia on Tuesday pointed out the lack of scientific support for sportspersons in the country.

Sharing his views at a seminar on ‘Sports — The Healthy Way,’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here, Bhutia highlighted the negligence of several important aspects associated with an athlete’s training.

“In all top football clubs, a player gets Rs. one crore or even more (per year), while a physio gets Rs. 5000 (per month). The physios (normally) do not have any background,” said Bhutia.

Recalling his experience of playing for an England club, Bhutia said the stint helped him grow stronger. The former India striker said no research was being made in the country on supplements. “Whatever supplements we get are from foreign (countries) and we do not know which is genuine.”

Bhutia stressed the benefit of having a person who could perform the role of a physio as well as a fitness trainer with proper rehab expertise. “It does not help to have two persons performing different roles.”

Jagbir’s views

Olympian hockey player Jagbir Singh also talked about his experience of playing for a German club, to drive home the need for undergoing proper scientific training.

“The doctor of that club told me that I have the fitness to play for 20 minutes only. It was an insult to me. But he told me if I went through the training schedule prescribed by him, I would be able to play full time by the time the league started. And it happened like that,” said Jagbir.

Former India women’s cricketer Anjum Chopra also underlined the importance of educating the trainers so that they imparted correct training to their trainees.

B.V.P. Rao of Clean Sports India cited an example of how training the coaches could be beneficial in the longer run. He said hiring a foreign archery coach, who trained some Indians long back, was the basic reason behind the archers’ success.

On handling sports bodies professionally, former India skipper Kapil Dev said everyone should follow in the footsteps of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also urged the corporate houses to devote some part of their budget to promote sports other than cricket.

Kapil Dev said the BCCI should function independently, but at the same time it should follow the government guidelines. Appreciating the commercial success of BCCI, Bhutia said he found one drawback in the hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL) — the lack of focus on grassroots.

Several corporate houses, like Jaypee Group, Sahara India, Tata Steel and Coca-Cola, gave an account of their contribution to promote sporting activities and sportspersons.

Sports Secretary Sindhushree Khullar, in her concluding remarks, said there was a big demand for physical education teachers and the first aim should be to help the kids attain a basic fitness level.

Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia on Tuesday pointed out the lack of scientific support for sportspersons in the country.

Sharing his views at a seminar on ‘Sports — The Healthy Way,’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here, Bhutia highlighted the negligence of several important aspects associated with an athlete’s training.

“In all top football clubs, a player gets Rs. one crore or even more (per year), while a physio gets Rs. 5000 (per month). The physios (normally) do not have any background,” said Bhutia.

Recalling his experience of playing for an England club, Bhutia said the stint helped him grow stronger. The former India striker said no research was being made in the country on supplements. “Whatever supplements we get are from foreign (countries) and we do not know which is genuine.”

Bhutia stressed the benefit of having a person who could perform the role of a physio as well as a fitness trainer with proper rehab expertise. “It does not help to have two persons performing different roles.”

Jagbir’s views

Olympian hockey player Jagbir Singh also talked about his experience of playing for a German club, to drive home the need for undergoing proper scientific training.

“The doctor of that club told me that I have the fitness to play for 20 minutes only. It was an insult to me. But he told me if I went through the training schedule prescribed by him, I would be able to play full time by the time the league started. And it happened like that,” said Jagbir.

Former India women’s cricketer Anjum Chopra also underlined the importance of educating the trainers so that they imparted correct training to their trainees.

B.V.P. Rao of Clean Sports India cited an example of how training the coaches could be beneficial in the longer run. He said hiring a foreign archery coach, who trained some Indians long back, was the basic reason behind the archers’ success.

On handling sports bodies professionally, former India skipper Kapil Dev said everyone should follow in the footsteps of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also urged the corporate houses to devote some part of their budget to promote sports other than cricket.

Kapil Dev said the BCCI should function independently, but at the same time it should follow the government guidelines. Appreciating the commercial success of BCCI, Bhutia said he found one drawback in the hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL) — the lack of focus on grassroots.

Several corporate houses, like Jaypee Group, Sahara India, Tata Steel and Coca-Cola, gave an account of their contribution to promote sporting activities and sportspersons.

Sports Secretary Sindhushree Khullar, in her concluding remarks, said there was a big demand for physical education teachers and the first aim should be to help the kids attain a basic fitness level.

Yusuf Pathan comes across as a refreshing throwback to a different vintage; a time when players would synthesise heady cricketing exploits with impeccable behaviour. We meet Yusuf for the interview a short while before his departure to Delhi. One would then be forgiven if one were to expect off-the-peg answers and hurried responses. The man from Vadodara, however, fields queries with grace and composure.

His gentle demeanour is quite a departure from his marauding ways at the crease. “I am very calm by nature. It’s only while batting that I adopt a different approach,” explains Yusuf, who was in Chennai to take part in the Buchi Babu Memorial all-India tournament.

The 28-year-old is quite unaffected by his rise at the international level and the celebrity status that follows such an ascent. “People in India give you so much love and respect. It’s important not to lose sight of one’s roots,” says Yusuf who has played 56 One Day Internationals and 20 T-20s thus far.

The conversation naturally drifts towards his brother Irfan and the equation they share. “Irfan’s selection (to the Indian team) was a motivation. We started playing together and would always discuss quite a lot about cricket. I was very happy for him.”

International debut

What memories does he have of his own international debut? “I would struggle to put that in words,” he smiles. “I made my ODI debut in Dhaka (against Pakistan). Irfan handed me my India cap and I was absolutely thrilled. The senior players were very supportive.”

The muscular all-rounder also remembers his childhood and the pranks he played along with Irfan. “We used to break quite a few window panes in the neighbourhood playing cricket. One of the neighbours said in jest that if we ever became international cricketers, it was up to us to mend the broken panes. And, we have done exactly that,” chuckles Yusuf.

He acknowledges the contribution of Mehendi Sheikh and the late Bashir Sheikh in his development as a cricketer. “They were pillars of strength. Balwinder Singh Sandhu was also a great source of support.”

Shane Warne is an obvious favourite of Yusuf. “Warne is such an inspiration. It was from him I learnt that leadership is about backing your players and making them feel positive. He was the first one to spot that I could be effective with the new ball.”

“It was then a regret that I couldn’t play alongside him at the time of his retirement during the IPL this year.”

Yusuf has a realistic approach towards handling criticism without getting too philosophical. “Criticism is necessary and everyone faces that. Ups and downs are common. I am happy about the fact that my family and friends back me all the time.”

A homebody

Speaking of family, is it true that Yusuf is more a homebody than a party animal? “Yes, I do like to spend quality time with my family. That’s when I am totally relaxed.” His love for animals and birds is also well-documented. “I don’t watch too many movies. Spending time with pets relieves stress. I have quite a few birds at home,” he says.

On the cricketing front, Yusuf’s immediate challenge is the Champions League. “I want to be known as a proper all-rounder. It is important to not look too far ahead and not compromise on hard work. Hopefully, I can make it back into the Indian team. Of course, in the long term I would like to play Test cricket as well.”

Ask him if he is treated like a superstar in his hometown and Yusuf gives us a puzzled glance. “Why, I am still the same Yusuf Pathan,” he bursts out laughing.