At a time when India dreams of hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, a critical question demands urgent attention: are we nurturing the institutions that produce world-class athletes or quietly eroding them? The answer will determine whether India emerges as a sporting powerhouse or remains a nation of untapped potential.
I write this not as an observer, but as someone whose life was shaped by one such institution, the Delhi Gymkhana Club.
Growing up there, training there and competing on its courts shaped my tennis career, which included victories over top international players in Grand Prix tournaments. It was on foundations built in institutions like these that India mounted its remarkable Davis Cup campaign in 1974-75, reaching the finals in a defining moment of sporting history. I had the privilege of contributing, including a crucial singles victory against Australia.
Those experiences taught me something fundamental: Great athletes are not born in isolation; they are built within systems.
And that is precisely where India is falling behind.
A crisis of institutions, not talent
India does not lack talent. It never has.
What we lack are world-class, well-governed institutions that can identify, nurture, and consistently develop that talent. In a country of 1.4 billion people, it is nothing short of alarming that we struggle to compete at the highest levels in most global sports. Our absence from events like the FIFA World Cup is not due to a lack of ability; it is due to a lack of structured ecosystems.
Sporting excellence requires more than passion. It demands infrastructure, coaching, discipline, exposure and continuity.
Institutions like Gymkhana embody exactly this ecosystem.
One of the most significant obstacles in Indian sport today is governance.
Too many sporting bodies are controlled by individuals with little understanding of sport itself. This has led to inconsistent policies, poor talent development pathways, and a failure to build excellence at scale.
Yes, India has achieved success in cricket. And more recently, in badminton and hockey. But unlike cricket, these are exceptions, not the result of a nationwide system that produces champions across disciplines.
If we are serious about becoming a global sporting nation, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: You cannot produce world-class athletes with third-rate systems.
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Gymkhana: A model we should replicate
The Gymkhana Club is not merely a relic of the past. Instead, it is a working model of excellence.
With some of the finest grass tennis courts in the world, second only to Wimbledon, it has provided generations of athletes with facilities that are rare even by global standards. It has squash courts, swimming infrastructure, and an environment that integrates sport, discipline, and community living.
I trained there alongside athletes like Bunker Roy, who rose to become world No. 2 in squash in the 1970s. That did not happen by accident; it happened because the right system was in place.
Such institutions prove that India can produce world-class athletes if it chooses to build and sustain the right environments.
A defining moment
Today, there is growing concern that institutions like Gymkhana could be weakened, politicised, or taken over in ways that dilute their ethos and independence.
This would be a grave mistake.
Destroying or undermining such platforms would not just be short-sighted; it would be irreversible damage to India’s sporting future. These are not just facilities, but living ecosystems built over decades, with intangible value that cannot be recreated overnight.
Institutions like Gymkhana are not just about producing athletes. They shape individuals.
Growing up in such an environment meant interacting with achievers, civil servants, business leaders, professionals, which instilled confidence, ambition, and a belief that excellence was attainable. This influence is immeasurable and indispensable.
At this critical juncture, I urge those in positions of authority to pause and reflect: Do not dismantle what has already proven its worth. Do not weaken what India so urgently needs.
Instead, preserve it. Strengthen it. Replicate it.
The difference between a nation that participates and a nation that dominates world sport lies in the choices we make today.
India has a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Let us not squander it.
Jasjit Singh is a former professional tennis player in India. Views are personal.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)