India can’t afford to have its education system and sports going in different directions if it wants to prioritise holistic development of its youth, said National badminton coach and Olympian P. Gopi Chand.

In a virtual session at the Sportstar Focus Bihar Conclave on Sunday, Gopi Chand said, “Six in 10 kids have flat feet and knock knees. One in three kids is obese; 80 per cent of school kids are not able to run 400 metres. This is the reality of Indian youth.”

“If I have a dream, it is that every kid must participate in physical activity. They should play multiple sports. They should start with a sport at age nine and play it till class 10. Then they should take a realistic view of what they can become. If they can become a world-class athlete, they should continue. With our Government’s schemes over the last 10-12 years, those pathways already exist.”

But the All-England winner was quick to add that even those filtered out should continue with sport as a hobby.

“Education and sport should blend so that universities can handhold them in giving them flexible course options and timings to allow them to participate. Unfortunately, the reality is that only a minuscule proportion can play professionally. The Western world has learned to do both. Sport needs to be a core subject like mathematics, physics, and chemistry,” he said.