PUMA Study Finds 57% Of Indians Haven’t Played A Sport In The Last One Year. We Find Out Why

Everyone’s primary reason for going to school was because they got to meet up with their friends and countdown the hours till the lunch-break bell rang. And as soon as it rang, there used to be utter pandemonium. Some rushed to the cricket pitch, while others ran to the goalposts. But whatever was our choice of sport, we used to engage in some form of physical activity while having fun.

However, after that, life happened. We had to go to college, take on a job, take responsibilities and so on and so forth. Due to that, the days feel short and we apparently get little to no time to play like we used to back in the day. And that trend of inactivity has piled on to such a level that half of India don’t play sports regularly.

According to a study conducted by PUMA, Virat Kohli and Kantar IMRB, it has been found out that 57% of Indians haven’t played a single sport in the last one year.

Considering how it isn’t practically possible to study the 1.2 billion population of India, the surveyors did so in a microcosm of the country. They brought in respondents from across the country, which included people of various states, genders and age-groups. And the results were shocking.

Representative Image

The studies showed that on weekdays an average person spends almost 5 hours on social media rather than playing any kind of indoor or outdoor games. In addition to that, people have been found to be talking over their phone for nearly 50 minutes on a daily basis.

While the amount of hours put into physical activity is reasonable during working days, non-working days showcase a similar trend with only a marginal increase in physical activities.

On holidays, people are certainly more inclined to rest. However that doesn’t mean they should be spending over 2 hours only on the internet, shopping online and uploading selfies onto social media.

Source: PUMA (Kantar IMRB)

And to add to all those hours of just sitting down, studies have shown that people are much more inclined to spend over an hour in front of the TV than in the gym.

However, a majority of the people who’re active on a daily basis are doing so out of genuine interest for the sport or just because they like to.

Almost 79% of people who actively engage in sports have reported that they do because they enjoy doing. And while a lot have complained about lack of space, 12% of the respondents have said that they’ve equipped their office with sports items for the sake of physical activity.

Source: PUMA (Kantar IMRB)

While it’s obvious that playing a game or working out will reflect on one’s body, the study shows that it has also led to a lot of socialising. So, instead of spending of hours in restaurants and movie theaters, people can get healthy by involving their office colleagues, relatives or neighbours who they’ve never talked with.

As for the remaining 57% who aren’t playing any form of sports, here’s the captain of the Indian men’s cricket team, Virat Kohli setting an example for them.

Image source
“What I’ve seen and what I’ve experienced is that people will do one thing, say you go out with your friends and go play badminton. For an hour or two. Next day some of them have niggles, they’re out. So, even with smallest of niggles, you don’t feel like waking up in the morning but that’s what it takes for you to cross that next step as well. Because if you’ve challenges at work, you don’t give up. Because your life depends on it. So, if people can think like that, that my life is dependent. It’s gonna benefit me so much, I can pass that onto my children tomorrow. The bigger picture should always be running in people’s head.”

As mentioned before, people have cited the lack of space for not playing anything. But Virat Kohli has some words of wisdom for them as well.

Time to talk about the State of Play. Join the conversation.

Posted by Virat Kohli on Friday, May 11, 2018

“When we’re growing up, we stayed in a colony. Everyone was from a middle-class to lower middle-class background. So, I never waited for a proper cricket field to play. So, people shouldn’t wait for professional facilities to be able to do something unless you’re a professional sportsman.”

That’s the most appropriate point that Virat has made. Playing a game or exercising doesn’t mean we have to pursue it professionally. We should do it to keep ourselves physically and mentally fit. At the end of the day, fitness is a lifestyle.

C’mon India, step out, take the stairs, kick the ball, hit a sixer, throw a jab, sweat it out, enjoy the breeze, just Come Out And Play!

📣 Storypick is now on Telegram! Click here to join our channel (@storypick) and never miss another great story.