A BOAT can’t produce a GOAT

As Mumbai continues to lose its playgrounds it is quickly earning the dubious distinction of becoming a BOAT Baddest of All Time and a city that turns into a BOAT can never raise a GOAT Greatest of All Time Even if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with good intentions launches ambitious sports initiatives such as mission MahaDeva in the presence of global icons Sachin Tendulkar and Lionel Messi good intentions alone cannot replace ground realityIn 2011 the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC spoke of exploring the possibility of building a sports centre in every ward Fourteen years later nothing has moved on this front Instead new playgrounds have been steadily disappearing leaving children with fewer places to play The gap between big promises and real action is glaringEven a BJP officebearer from Mumbai has flagged the crisis in writing noting that the city offers barely 11 to 124 square metres of open space per person far below the World Health Organisationrsquos minimum nine square metres and the United Nationsrsquo recommended 30 square metres It is a brutal reminder of how open spaces have been sacrificed in the race to buildOfficial data paints an equally grim picture According to BMC figures cited in media reports Mumbairsquos 14 crore residents must share just 359 playgrounds 404 recreational grounds and 346 gardens For a city that claims to dream big this shortage exposes a failure at the mostbasic levelNot long ago almost every neighbourhood had a maidan or open plot Children played with a rubber ball football barefoot without any fees or membership to be paid That is how many great sportspeople began their journey Today that simple world has nearly disappeared Towering buildings rise everywhere while open grounds are disappearing at a rapid pace Even within housing complexes open spaces are vanishing Lakhs of children are left with nowhere free to run and play rubber ball cricket or football barefootMumbairsquos own GOAT Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar speaking at the Mission Young amp Fit India event noted that free land is now built over almost instantly and urged that sports grounds be treated as heritage spaces It is a warning that is hard to ignoreIronically political leaders often speak the language of sport Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening ceremony of the Khelo India School Games said sports must occupy a central place in the lives of Indiarsquos youth Recently Fadnavis reiterated his desire to produce worldclass sportspersons from Mumbai and Maharashtra under mission MahaDeva The words sound promising But the reality on the ground paints a different pictureWith no free grounds available in the city parents are left with two options send their children to gaming zones inside malls or pay heavily to use turfs or gymkhanasMany of these turfs are built on BMCowned or public open spaces often operated without proper permission from the civic administration despite charging steep hourly fees making sports accessible only to those who can afford itWhat happens to talent in slums chawls and middleclass housing societies What about the child who has the skill but no money We may never know how many future Sachins Dhonis Virats or Mary Koms were lost simply because they had no place to playMumbai is called the city of dreams but for many young sportspeople it is slowly turning into a city of broken dreams The irony is hard to miss We spend crores on grand stadiums for big events we hear slogans about Khelo India and Olympic glory yet ignore the most basic need at the grassroots level free playgrounds for childrenSports cannot survive without grounds and real talent cannot grow inside closed walls Thus it is amply clear that GOATs are made on maidans not in malls or on turfs But by wiping out open spaces and turning play into a paid privilege we are quietly stealing the future of Indian sportThe long term impact of this neglect is serious Children are becoming less active less fit and more stressed Also lifestyle diseases are beat a younger ageIf Mumbai and neighbouring cities such as Thane Navi Mumbai KalyanDombivli MiraBhayander and VasaiVirar are to produce worldclass sports personalities the solution is simple but strong political will is essential With municipal elections approaching the political leadership has an opportunity to match intent with action Fadnavis his party and allies mdash especially Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who heads the urban development UD department mdash governing municipal corporations must prioritise the creation and protection of open spaces Manifestos should not merely promise playgrounds but also ensure they are protected from encroachment and accessible to the public free of costAnd yes donrsquot just mention but ensure effective implementation of promises This is not charity It is an investment in the health fitness and future of the next generation and in producing great sportspersonsIn the end those at the helm must decide whether they want Mumbai to remain a BOAT for childrenrsquos play or transform it into a city capable of producing GOATsSanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevShivadekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper