First Sports Exclusive | 99 per cent of those who take up sport fail without an exit strategy, says P Gopichand

Badminton icon Pullela Gopichand had recently courted controversy for his comment suggesting that only those kids who came from affluent backgrounds should take up sport as a profession. In an exclusive conversation with Rupha Ramani on the latest episode of First Sports, the national badminton coach and Olympian explained his comments that has been widely criticised.

Gopichand, who had become only the second Indian to win the prestigious All England Championship in 2001, said that “99 per cent” of those who take up sport as a profession fail to achieve the kind of success that would translate to making a decent living.

He added that these athletes who fail to succeed in badminton and other sports often don’t have a back-up plan for their careers, and end up struggling for the remainder of their lives.

Sport is a place where 99 per cent are guaranteed to fail: Gopichand

“For the longest period of time, I’ve been advocating that everybody should play sport, and nobody seemed to put it up there. I think what this topic has brought up is an issue which is very dear to my heart and I believe which needs us to really think about,” Gopichand said on the ‘Beyond The Line’ segment of the show.

“As a country, in the last few years, we’ve grown… inspired people to take up sport. And today, people are aspiring to be badminton players, to be athletes, to be shooters, to be wrestlers, boxers. Many athletes have come on and inspired people to take up sport.

“What we’re missing here to understand is that sport is a place where it is guaranteed that 99 per cent or more percentage of people (who) take up sport fail. And it’s very important that we figure an exit strategy for them. They may not fail because they did not work hard, but (because) the nature of sport is like that,” added ‘Gopi’.

The 51-year-old, who runs a successful badminton academy in Hyderabad, added that he didn’t mind the blowback to his comments so long as people discussed the issue that he intended to shed light upon.

“If you’re writing an exam, all of us can get hundred per cent mark. But if 100 people were to actually play a tournament or a race, only one of them will win. And when the top position is so elusive, and we know for a fact that 99 per cent will fail, we’re not talking about an exit strategy for them.

“This is the single point which I had, and in some sense I’m okay with the subject being flared up and the controversy happening, because thankfully at least people have come and we’re talking this subject, which I think is very, very important and relevant,” he added.

Watch the full interview here: