Page 64 - EducationWorld January 2023

EW FOCUS: CHILDREN’S FOOTWEAR

“To become a top sporting nation, we need to first become a physically active nation”

EW interviewed Rahul Dravid, luckily had cricket to fall back on.
coach of the national cricket team I have been very fortunate that
and Plaeto’s brand ambassador. throughout my career, I have had an
Excerpts enabling ecosystem. Whether it was
my school or family, they encouraged
What is your assessment of the me and created a positive environ-
quality of sports education provid- ment that allowed me to focus on
ed in schools and colleges country- my career. The one thing about my
wide? school that stood out was that they
Physical or sports education in always gave equal weightage to
schools and colleges has come a academics and sport which naturally
long way. The quality of trainers/ made me believe that one was not
coaches has improved massively above the other allowing students to
though there is much left to be done. flourish in both.
We often neglect physical educa- The Olympics and Paralympics
tion (PE) teachers’ critical role in a movements have created enormous Your advice to budding child sports
child’s growth given that the values awareness about the importance of athletes?
inculcated through them are beyond sports and games. However, to be- In today’s day and age, the pressure
classroom learning. We need to come one of the top sporting nations, on budding athletes is far more now
ensure that trainers are qualified and we need to first become a physically than what it was a couple of years
equipped to enable students’ holistic active nation. We need to be physi- ago. I think more than the athletes,
development. cally active as a society and increase my advice to parents is to avoid put-
participation across all levels and ting pressure on their children while
Do you think sports has evolved age groups. Sport is beyond winning they pursue a sport. Let them have
from a hobby to profession? medals and this mindset must be set fun while competing and most impor-
Sport has gradually evolved over the in society, starting with children in tantly, allow them to fail. We put so
years from a hobby to a profession. schools. much focus on success that we often
The apprehension that came with forget the importance of learning to
choosing sports as a career in my What in your opinion is the key to fail graciously, at a young age.
time was much higher; today there nurturing a generation of physical-
are far more opportunities in the ly fit and sporting young Indians? Why did you choose to associate
sports industry. I think the pandemic Sustainable infrastructure and acces- with Plaeto?
played a huge role in the realisa- sibility are key; however, our lifestyle From my childhood, I have always
tion of the importance of sports and is equally important. Physical activity struggled to find good, comfortable
physical activity for leading a healthy should be a family event where all footwear in India. In the early days of
life. Today, if you are not a success- members are playing a sport of their my career, we would request our se-
ful athlete, you could still attach choice while spending quality time niors to bring back imported branded
yourself to the game by being part of with each other. athletic shoes for us. Even for my
the ecosystem. With multiple career children, I always found school shoes
opportunities in sports like sports sci- What’s the importance of sports were lacking in comfort, fit and de-
ences, management, technology and in your life, from school onwards? sign. So when Plaeto approached me
many more coming up every day, it is Who was your inspiration in with their idea, vision and product, I
no longer a hobby. choosing a career in cricket? How was very impressed with the thor-
supportive were your parents and ough research and development effort
A country of 1.4 billion people has school? they put into creating the shoe, and
managed to produce only a handful For me, sport has played a huge role when I used it myself I was con-
of Olympic medalists. What do you in shaping my personality. In my vinced of its performance.
think we need to do to change that? school days before I got into cricket, I As brand ambassador and mentor
I think it’s incredible what we have used to play hockey but soon enough of Plaeto, I’m happy to be a part of a
achieved as a nation in recent years. I realised I was not cut out for it and mission that aims to provide Indian

EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2023